The Problem
by Kirsty Joy
Summary: Hiding behind grief over her father's death only works for so long. Soon Marian will be forced to make the biggest decision of her life. And if the Sheriff has his way, that choice will need to take place with very little time to think."T"for implications
1. Chapter 1

Epilogue... With selections from several episodes re-written with my twist on it. :-)

. . . .

"No, this isn't right." he clenched the letter in his fist.

"What do you mean?" Allen raised an eyebrow.

"Marian cannot take holy orders!" Guy's eyes studied the letter once more, "She has a life to lead. Saddle my horse!"

"Naw, you don't really think so, do you?" Allen wondered why his plans never turned out the way he wished.

"Do as you're told!"

"Sure. Where're we going then?" He hoped he was mistaken in Guy's intent, but his answer quickly confirmed his suspicions.

"Rippley Convent."

"Yeah? Hang on - doesn't she want to be on her own? Grieving and..."

Guy grabbed him by the collar and shouted at him, "GET MY HORSE!"

"Alright, alright." Allen shrugged and left for the stables.

Guy put a hand to his forehead and sat down on the nearby bench. He was so tired, Marian had only been gone for a short time, but he had been unable to sleep from the memory of his mistake when he had seen her last.

. . .

"Wait! Listen to me," He slid to a stop in front of her, "This place may not be safe for you now."

"Why?" the question came automatically - fresh from seeing her father's body, she didn't really care.

Guy swallowed and brought out a curved dagger with a jeweled handle, "This is yours, I believe. Your father's jailer was killed with it."

"I don't care!" she burst out - when would she be allowed to reach the privacy of her room where she could grieve her father without an audience?

"The Sheriff will care," he drew in his breath and licked his lips, not quite sure how to get this information through the fog of her distress, "And when he finds out that it was your dagger that killed his jailer," he paused before completing his sentence, "He will hang you!"

Not much could have caused her to care about anything, but she had been working hard to just survive for the past seven years since Robin had left for the Holy Land, and old habits die hard.

Marian started to tremble as the physical weight of fear combined with grief wore on her. Shaking her head, she barely managed to shiver out, "No."

"Let me look after you," he stepped forwards gently as he spoke - care evident in his eyes - she continued to shiver as he narrowed the gap between them and continued softly, "Protect you. I've always cared about you, Marian."

She looked up at him. His face was blurry through her tears, but it promised safety.

"My feelings for you," he drew her gently towards him and she gave in the the impulse to lay her head on his chest and close her weary eyes as he continued soothingly, "I thought they'd gone away, but they haven't."

She wasn't even paying attention anymore, the warmth under her cheek felt firm and safe, and she relaxed against him as he planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"They're stronger than ever." he smoothed her hair - and she felt the weariness seeping further into her body.

. . .

Guy groaned and clenched his fist. That moment... she finally accepted something, namely comfort, from him without an argument and he ruined it - why could he not have gone with his original plan of simply protecting her? Why did he always make a mistake that cost him all of his progress? If instead he had just continued offering her the comfort that she needed instead of reaching for the kiss that he had waited so long to get.  
He raised his head and looked out of the window, a bright spot in the cold stone hallway. He had to find her and make it right.

"Horses are ready." Allen's face had it's usual closed, intentionally inexpressive look as he re-entered the hall.

Guy rose to his feet and headed out the main door, his pace increasing as he spotted the Sheriff's newest employee leading a pier bearing the dead body of none other than Robin Hood.

"What's this?" he asked briskly.

Carter looked at him coolly. "Robin Hood," he replied, "As promised."

"Dead?" he asked, not believing.

"Dead." Carter confirmed.

"Really." he looked at him with contempt in his eyes before glancing at the gate guard, "Did you check him?"

"Yes sir Guy."

He glanced back to Carter. "Well let's make doubly sure, shall we?" Walking closer he drew his sword, "Show me his neck."

The guard drew back the outlaw's shirt and Guy laid the blade of his sword on the pale skin now exposed. The triumph that he had expected to feel wasn't quite there, but he raised his arms, preparing to sever the head from the neck.

"Guy!" a woman's voice rang across the courtyard.

"Marian?" he could hardly believe his eyes as she walked swiftly over to the pier and looked at the dead outlaw in confusion.

"What's happening here?" she asked, glancing back up at him.

"Robin Hood," he forced a sneer onto his face, watching closely for her reaction, "Dead."

"Congratulations," her face showed only mild distaste for death, after a pause she continued, "I need speak with you. In private, please."

He looked at Carter, "Carry on."

. . .

Guy worked his jaw as he walked, fighting between the urges to 1. apologize for the kiss she did not wish to receive, 2. to scold her for leaving without telling him where she was going and then sending him a very impersonal letter by Allen of all people, 3. to grab her and hug her tightly enough to scare away the grief that was still evident in her eyes, and 4. the desire to not lose his head and do something that might scare her away again.

Marian followed Guy down the cold stone hallways, wondering frantically what she was going to talk to him about, never guessing the battle going on in front of her.

. . .

They reached the turret room and Guy motioned her inside before closing the door and facing her.

"I received your letter," he stated, not sure what to say, "I was about to come and visit you."

"I asked to be left alone and still you were coming to see me?"

He sighed and looked at her knowingly, "You knew I would.".

"Yes," she dropped her eyes, and then raised them as she finally figured out the reason to give for her visit, "And that's why I came. To ask you to please leave me be." she felt a strange regret as she said the words, but brushed it aside and waited for his answer.

He chuckled mirthlessly and shook his head as he moved towards her, "Marian. Do you really expect me to believe that you have given yourself to God?"

"Trust me, I haven't given myself to anyone," she felt slightly embarrassed by his gaze and suddenly found herself wishing that she could once again experience the safe feeling of being held in his arms. She swallowed and glanced up at him, "Not yet."

He reached out and took her arm as she turned away to escape his scrutiny. "Good," he spoke sincerely, "Because until you do, I will always believe that there was a chance for you and me."

"I need to think." outwardly calm she turned away, this open statement from Guy had instantly caused turmoil within her.

"Stop thinking," he felt as though his heart must be open to her view and worked to close the windows of his eyes, but his desire found words before he could do so, "Come home to me."

She turned, speaking the only excuse that she could think of and one that she had long forgiven him for in her heart, "You burned my home to the ground."

He looked away to hide the raw vulnerability on his face. "Marian," he spoke quietly, not looking at her, "If I could take that back... If I could show you the side of me that wants to build a home, not burn it down." the side that is wounded and hiding because the sheriff keeps cutting it back, he almost added.

"I have seen it."

"Than why do you reject it?" The question burst out of him with more emotion than he intended.

"My father is dead," she avoided the question, not sure if she had an answer, "I need time. To grieve."

A look of compassion and love flashed across his face, but unsure of what to say he spoke the first thing in his mind, "What better way to grieve than to create new life?"

He walked over to her where she stood, neither retreating nor advancing.

"Marian!" he took her by the arms gently, "I thought that I might never see you again."

She was shocked to see a shimmer in his eyes.

"I thought that I might never..."

"What?" she spoke as distantly as she could, afraid that she might give into the urge to reach out for him and never let go.

"Kiss you." he finished gently, leaning forwards slowly, watching carefully for signs of distaste.

Marian moved the tiniest bit back, then slightly forwards and then back again, unable to decide what to do. She was startled when the door opened suddenly and Guy turned away.

"Oh, sorry," Allan wasn't sure if Marian appreciated the intrusion or not, though he had timed it as well as he could, he shifted his weight, "Uh, the Sheriff wants you. He's gonna put Robin's head on a spike."

Guy glanced at her and then strode to the door, suddenly and irrelevantly feeling as though he were stuck in quick sand and wishing to shake himself of the sheriff. As he reached the door he turned back to Marian, gentleness evident on his face.

"We must continue this conversation soon." he gave her an almost smile, trying to be sensitive to her grief while still communicating his wish to see her again soon, before turning.

"Guy!" Spying Much over his shoulder, Marian acted quickly to prevent Guy from seeing what she did and putting two and two together. Without really thinking, she grabbed his arm and pulled him into a kiss.

Stunned for a moment, he quickly recovered and responded in kind. A moment later she broke off the kiss and hid her face in his shoulder, beginning to be very concerned about her decision making skills, which seemed to be off today. Guy held her tight, determined to give her the hug that she seemed to be asking for without interrupting it with any unwanted contact.

Marian sighed and stepped back after enjoying the feeling of safety for a few more seconds. She smiled at him weakly and made a mental note to do some serious thinking when she got back to the camp. He looked at her uncertainly for a moment before stooping to kiss her cheek.

Over his shoulder she saw the now revived Robin Hood staring at her in shock and disgust. His face brought her to her senses.

"Guy," she said, feeling a surge of loss when he stepped back and looked at her, "I have to go."

"Go?" confusion, followed by a look as though he were slipping from a dream to a nightmare, blanketed his features, "You can't go."

"I can and I must," Her conscience pricked her harshly as she looked at him, that hope that still flickered in his eyes was a stern reproof. She had to remove his hope - she belonged with Robin, "This was a mistake."

"Marian this wasn't a mistake; this was the most perfect thing that has ever happened." warmth flooded his eyes as he looked at her, warmth mixed with something else.

"I am grieving, Guy. I mislead you, I'm sorry." suddenly she felt sick, and inwardly cursed herself as she looked down - not strong enough to look into his eyes.

Guy watched compassionately as she began to walk away and gently took her arm. "You're misleading yourself," he told her gently, he knew the signs, "I know. I've done it. I told myself that I didn't need you, that other things would satisfy me. Politics, power, yet here we are."

By now, between her heart, her brain, and her conscience Marian was enduring inner agony. She was glad that Guy couldn't see her face; she was certain that he would be able to read her like a book and recognize her lies for what they were. And even she wasn't ready to truly find that out yet.

"I have to get back," she licked her lips, needing to be alone with her thoughts and yet dreading the idea, "Before they realize I'm missing!"

"Back to the convent?" An incredulous smile played across his face.

"Yes."

He chuckled slightly, knowing that she was making a decision she would regret. "Marian no," he let go of her arm but decided to try something, "I forbid you to go."

That clinched it, Marian's natural rebellion against rules got the better of her and she straightened her shoulders and walked away, towards Robin, without looking back.

. . . . .

Okay, from now on it's all my story... with the characters belonging to someone else of course.


	2. Chapter 2

Yay, chapter 2! (new and updated)

. . . .

"Will you stop looking like a whipped dog, Gisborne?" the Sheriff glared at his lieutenant who sat up a little straighter but refused to lift his eyes, "Do you really think that if you had that leper you'd be happy? A clue, no."

He regarded the unhappy man for a moment, and suddenly snapped his fingers.

"Go review the guards or whatever you do, Gisborne, and send me the executioner and about two dozen guards. "

"My lord?" Guy looked up, curiosity over his face.

"Oh, well, if you want to be included in my plans, than I suggest that next time you pay more attention to your duties - helping me - than your stupid disappointments. Now off you go."

He watched as the younger man left the room with a decidedly sulky air. Shaking his head he smiled unpleasantly and muttered to himself, "This just might work... And if it does it will solve at least three of my problems."

. . .

"I'm sorry," Marian looked sideways at Robin, "I'm not used to taking orders, but I can learn." she paused for a moment and then shook herself, wondering why she was hesitating, "I'd like to be part of your gang."

"And I'm not used to you being in the forest, but I'll learn." he continued to regard the forest in front of him.

"Truce?" she smiled expectantly.

"Yeah, truce," he grinned at her before rejoining the others and turning to Carter, "Safe journey, my friend."

As they watched the man and horse disappear over the ridge, Marian glanced at Robin and took his hand, interlacing their fingers. Robin chuckled and she smiled slightly, wondering why she felt so torn between the two men - as different as night and day - but each pleasant and comforting - and dangerous and exciting - in their own way... each more of one thing than the other.

. . .

Marian chopped the potatoes quietly, letting her mind wander. She had been officially part of Robin's gang for several days now, but he still left her behind - claiming that since Much, who had been noticeably agitated by Marian's presence in the forest, had refused point blank to make supper, John (who rolled his eyes and said that he would do it) would need help preparing the food - while he went to investigate some village or other with the rest of the gang.  
Although she would never admit it to anyone, she was beginning to seriously miss the comforts of home - most noticeably her privacy (and the washbasin if it came to that). Though her ache over her father had scarcely begun to wane, the first recklessness had passed and she was beginning to feel that she had been foolhardy to quit the castle immediately without making the appropriate arrangements, attending the funeral and saying goodbye properly. Besides, she was unable to keep her mind off of the way that she had treated the Sheriff's right hand man... even though she had become fairly good at deceiving people during the years after her father's retirement, she had never developed a taste for it and her conscience still pricked her - especially in regards to the man that she had deceived over and over again. Truth to tell, she was becoming rather sick of it and didn't really feel that she had a reason to do it anymore now that her father was no longer in a position to be injured by the Sheriff.

"Here," John interrupted her thoughts by tossing her a couple of carrots, "Don't make them too small now."

Marian sighed and obliged, trying to ignore the painful redness of her hand where the knife dug in when she gripped it.

"It's different than you thought, isn't it? Harder." he observed, looking sideways at her from where he sat plucking the chicken that had been a gift from one of Robin's loyal admirers.

"What?" she asked, more to humor him than out of curiosity.

"Being someone that Robin holds dear and living in the forest." he tilted his head, "You keep expecting him to give you something important as a sign that he respects you, but instead he shows his love by keeping you safe and protected. Or caged - depending on your point of view."

Meeting his gaze, Marian nodded slightly and then shook her head in irritation. "It's just so frustrating!" She exclaimed softly, "It still seems more stifling in here than it did in the castle."

"It is frustrating, but it's the only way that he knows how to do things," John put the meat into the pot and reached for an onion, "He protects the ones he holds dear. Look at how often Much has to stay behind to do some kind of unnecessary chore while we go do something dangerous. Like it or not, this is what you are going to have to live with for the rest of your life with him. The real question is; will a lifetime of this make you feel loved and protected or resentful and trapped?"

"And is it really me that he wants to keep safe or is it what I do... listening to him and everything?" Marian propped her chin on her hands and stared into the forest and suddenly wondered if it really mattered what Robin's motives were... either way they would have the same result. 

. . . .

As always, if you like it tell me... if not, don't bother! ;-)

. . .


	3. Chapter 3

*sigh* the Robin Hood series had such potential... and they wasted it! Completely! Oh well, thank goodness for fanfiction!

. . . .

"How very strange!" Djaq exclaimed, looking at the guards that stood right outside the village in plain sight of the forest.

"Why are they erecting a scaffold in such an obvious place?" Will gently placed his hand on her shoulder and peered through the bush at the proceedings.

"It's a trap." John observed, his voice definite.

"Of course," Robin agreed, his brow slightly furrowed in thought, "But why choose such an obvious place? Why not just advertise the execution as taking place in the castle courtyard? Building a scaffold will take at least a full day and we always show up anyways. He must have something special planned."

"Yeah, but what?" Will looked at him quizzically.

"Well," Robin sighed and then grinned, "There's only one way to find out."

. . .

Marian hurried up the castle stairs towards her room. Much knew where she was, but she wanted to be done and back before Robin returned to camp.  
She was determined to give forest life a fair chance, but she knew that if she didn't have something clean to wear soon she would definitely NOT be able to stay there much longer.  
Reaching her room, she was pleased to see that nothing had been touched, and even more pleased to see that the castle staff had not been informed that her absence was to be permanent and there was fresh water in her wash basin.

The moment that the cool water touched her skin was heavenly and she let out a contented sigh as she finally washed away the grunge that resulted from living and sleeping in a place with dirt below and trees above. The very ability to wash without informing everyone of her intentions and warning them to steer clear (or following Djaq's example and washing at midnight in the pitch black) was an unbelievable luxury. And disrobing with no cover other than the trees or an occasional bush was NOT in Marian's comfort zone (after all - if one could judge from the whispered rumors - it hadn't worked out for Djaq too well either).

After washing and changing into a clean dress, Marian sat down on the bed - intending only to enjoy the softness for a moment. But the feeling of a real bed (so much more comfortable than she had remembered) was too much of a temptation and she lay down with her pillow under her cheek and closed her eyes.

. . .

Guy strode down the hall, disgusted with himself. He had been sure that Marian did not really want to go to the convent and that she would be back before too long. From what he had heard, the nuns kept the place extremely sparse, and he had been certain that she would miss the comforts of home. He had even told the maid to keep servicing Marian's room just in case, but she had not returned and he was tired of the Sheriff's constant jabs. He was about ready to tell the sheriff exactly where he could go (and maybe help him along), and ride to the convent to beg Marian to come back. Or maybe he would just go along with his present plan of sending all of her belongings after her.

Opening the door to her room, he caught his foot and almost tripped as he entered. Looking down the look on his face changed from one of annoyance to one of minor shock when his gaze encountered a pile of recently discarded clothes. A small sigh reached his ears and his eyes flew up to encounter the previously undiscovered sight of Marian curled up on her bed, fast asleep.  
Hardly believing his eyes, Guy drew off his glove as he walked slowly over and lightly brushed her cheek. It was warm and soft, and she stirred slightly, murmuring something unintelligible.  
He swallowed hard and backed out of the room, closing the door and leaning on it for a moment. A tiny smile crept over his face; the Sheriff could do his worst, Marian had showed that the place she considered comfortable and safe was here - at the castle - with him.

. . . .

I can't wait to find out what happens next! Oh wait, I'm writing? Oh well, I still can't wait to find out what happens next! (Anyone else not bother with outlines?)


	4. Chapter 4

NEXT! :-D

. . . .

Robin did not glance up as he sat alone at the fire as she re-entered the camp as dusk began to gather.

"I'm not going to ask where you've been because John told me," he said quietly, almost as though he were speaking to the embers, "What I would like to know is what took you so long. I was getting ready to set out after you."

"I can take care of myself," Marian informed him a trifle coolly, she bit her lip and paused as she fought with her pride before continuing in a slightly subdued voice, "I went to get new clothes and I fell asleep on my bed. I am sorry to have worried you."

"Next time you go you tell me first and then take one of the others with you," he kept his voice even and his eyes on the coals, "I know that you worked alone for a long time, but as part of the gang you have to work with it."

"I'd be more than happy to, if you would let me!" the exasperated tone in her voice gave away the expression on her face.

"Everyone has a different job, none is more or less important," Robin finally glanced up at her, "And everyone has to obey the rules. Especially the one that says that nobody goes to Nottingham alone; regardless of the reason."

"Robin," Marian sat down beside him, "I know that you have all of your rules for a good reason. But I can't stay here like this all the time. I feel like I'm suffocating! The boredom of having nothing to do is killing me; at least in the castle I was constantly doing something, even if it was only trying to outwit the Sheriff."

"And Gisborne," Robin added, searching her eyes as they settled on the fire.

"And Guy." she nodded, keeping her face expressionless in spite of the pang the admission gave her. For some reason deceiving the sheriff did not seem as wrong as deceiving his right hand man. She shook herself and turned to face the outlaw, "Don't be angry, Robin, please?"

"I'm not angry." he shook his head and jumped to his feet, "But I am going to ask you to stay at the camp for the next few days until you have had time to decide whether or not you want to play by the rules. If you get bored we have plenty of work to do."

Marian compressed her lips and glared at the fire. She rarely allowed herself to really and truly glaring at anything - preferring to keep her emotions out of everything as much as possible - but she was so annoyed with herself for having fallen asleep at the castle... Her thoughts were broken by a gentle hand and a kiss on her forehead. She looked up into Robin's kind eyes and she felt her anger slipping slowly away.

"I am sorry," he whispered earnestly, "I just need to know where you are so I can make sure that you are safe."

She smiled slightly and watched as he walked away, but his words had less comfort in them than she willed herself to believe.

. . .

"Ah, Gisborne!" the Sheriff greeted him quite cheerfully the next morning, "Do me a favor and send a message to Lady Marian, will you? I've got a celebration planned for tomorrow and I don't think she'll want to miss it."

Guy raised an eyebrow, "A celebration, my lord? What is the occasion?"

"Hood is going to die tomorrow precisely at noon," he grinned and walked briskly towards the door before turning and glancing at his lieutenant, "Make sure that you have her meet us here, and that she leaves the nuns behind. They might not be able to handle the... proceedings with equanimity."

. . .

Allen glanced about, wishing that he knew exactly where each member of Robin's gang was so that he could avoid all except the one he had to speak with. The silence of the woods, broken only by the rustling of his feet in the dry leaves, weighed in on him as he drew nearer to the camp. Finally reaching it, he saw Marian sitting with her chin in her hands staring right at him blankly, while Much busied himself around the camp muttering something about helpers that didn't work.

A moment later Marian's eyes focused in and an interested look came over her face. Glancing over at Much, who's back was turned, she got slowly to her feet and walked towards where Allen stood, semi-hid by the trees.

. . . .

Yippee! I'm almost ready to get to the really INTERESTING part of the story! :-D


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5! I's so proud of meself! *nods*

. . . .

"Tell him that I will be there tomorrow," Marian instructed Allen after spending an agonizing five minutes trying to figure out the Sheriff's plans and what to do about them, "And keep your ears open; I want all of the information you can get by then."

"Sure," Allen nodded, "But do you really think it's a good idea for you to accept the invitation? And what can you do anyway? The Sheriff seemed awfully certain that his plan was going to work and there's no way of guessing what he's got up his sleeve."

"I don't know what I can do, if anything, but no one else has the opportunity to be so close to the Sheriff and perhaps figure out what he is up to before it's too late... all of the others have to be on the outside because the Sheriff knows that they are part of Robin's gang and if he saw them I'm sure that he would do his utmost to include them in his... entertainment." When Allen failed to look completely convinced by her reasoning, Marian could feel her calm, resolute facade slipping and she hated how much her voice revealed when she continued, "Please, Allen, if I don't have something to do other than cook food or patch clothes I shall go mad."

"Being part of Robin's gang isn't all it's cracked up to be, is it?" Allen looked at her with something like sympathy, "Alright then, do whatever you want but don't say I didn't warn you."

"Thank you," Marian smiled at him with more warmth than usual, "I will be there tomorrow before noon. Tell Guy..."

"Yeah?" he asked after a moment of waiting.

"Nothing, just that I'll be there."

. . .

"So that's the Sheriff's brilliant plan, is it?" Robin smirked as he looked around the fire at his friends, "Lure me to the village by having a fake execution and then hanging me instead? As always, Vaisey has outdone himself."

"But there has to be more to it than that," Marian insisted thoughtfully, "He must know that you will suspect a trap, but still he decides to plant it out in the open instead of inside the barred courtyard of the castle!"

"Oh, he'll have his little twists and turns that he always puts on each plan, but he's stuck in a rut... all of his plans are built on the same foundation." Robin shook his head with an ironic chuckle, "He never gives up. If he wasn't in such a prestigious position, he would have been committed to an asylum years ago."

The other outlaws grinned in agreement in spite of the seriousness of the subject at hand.

"And as to you joining them to watch my execution," Robin turned back to Marian, "The answer is no."

"Robin," Marian said quietly, "I know you well enough to know that you're not going to let any innocent people die. You're going to walk into the trap with your eyes wide open and without a plan and then you're going to attempt to escape by the skin on your teeth. You don't want anyone to know that I'm with your gang, so the only way that I could ever be any help is to be there with Guy."

As her voice got more intense Djaq and the others around the campfire devoted their attention solely to their meal with the exception of Much, who watched them closely.

"It's too dangerous," Robin shook his head, his forehead furrowing with concern, "You'd never be able to watch anything even come close to happening to me without giving yourself away. You'd be convicted and executed faster than that-" snapping his fingers, "- and I can't let that happen."

"Please," she lowered her voice pleadingly, "I won't give myself away, even if they kill you. I promise. I just can't wait here at the camp anymore. I feel caged, and if this is the way that it is going to be I can't do it."

"Look," sighing, Robin spread his hands, "I know that it's hard to stay behind, but it's for your own good. We can't let them know that you're with us. We're going to be distributing some food in Kirlees tomorrow night, and you are definitely welcome to join us. I just want to make sure that if you ever want to return to the castle you are free to do so."

"And that's exactly what I want to do tomorrow," exasperation was evident in her voice, "Robin, please! I won't do anything to draw attention to myself, and I won't interfere unless it is safe to do so, alright?"

Tilting his head back with a sigh, Robin studied the stars that were just barely visible through the branches above them.

"I'll tell you what," he said finally, bringing his gaze back to her face, "You can go as long as you take Djaq with you. No one goes to Nottingham alone."

"And what am I supposed to do?" Djaq asked curiously, giving up even pretending to be absorbed in her meal, "I can hardly pass for a nun."

"The nuns at the Abbey decided to let Marian return for a short visit as long as she brought a maid to act as a companion and chaperon." Robin said slowly.

Djaq looked good-humoredly across the fire at Marian, "You'd better behave yourself, young woman, I have to give an account of you to the head nun when we return." nodding in Robin's direction with a grin.

"Don't worry," a smile crept across her face, "I'm too much in awe of you and your head nun to do anything rash."  
. . . .

Duh duh duh dun! *suspenseful music* (Well, it works out loud!)


	6. Chapter 6

. . .

"Ah, if it isn't your haughty harpy," the Sheriff smirked at Guy as they exited the castle to find Marian waiting for them in the courtyard, "Haven't changed your mind about her, have you Gisborne?" He glanced at the taller man who's eyes were riveted to the prim figure waiting below them, "I'll take that as a no. Go on then, help her into the carriage or whatever you do."

"Beg pardon, my lord?" Guy looked at him with something akin to astonishment.

"I said that you're going to ride in the carriage with Lady Marian," the smile on the Sheriff's face was more nerve-wracking than anything, "Whisper sweet things in her ear, or whatever you do. I'm riding ahead. I'm giving you another chance, Gisborne; don't mess it up!"

Reaching the bottom of the steps, he climbed onto the back of the guard to obligingly waited on all fours to assist the Sheriff in his quest to mount his waiting horse.

"This is a day to be remembered," he muttered to himself as he rode out of the gate, "Now, if only Hood will cooperate..."

Guy watched him with a strange expression on his face - he knew the sheriff well enough to know that he had _something_ up his sleeve, he just wished that he knew _what_. Shrugging, he walked over to the carriage where Marian now stood waiting.

"I'm glad you came," he greeted her, a smile passing slowly over his face, "Even though Allen said you would, I wasn't sure."

"Your message piqued my interest," Marian tilted her head with a smile that turned out warmer than she intended, there was a moment's pause before she glanced at the carriage, "Shall we go?"

"Of course," he took her offered hand to help her in and then paused, his voice and expression becoming a shade darker as he spotted the veiled woman behind her, "Who is this?"

"This is Esther, my companion," Marian informed him, adding in a lower tone, "I was only allowed to come because she was available to chaperone me. The Abbey is strict in that way. She has taken a vow of silence and must not be looked upon by any man."

"I see." without another word he handed both of them into the carriage and then entered behind them, noting with displeasure that 'Esther' had seated herself beside Marian and his place was now on the other side of the carriage.

Marian was not enjoying Guy's discomfort as much as she had in times past; to tell the truth she almost felt a twinge of disappointment when Djaq (alias Esther) took the place that Guy so obviously intended for himself.

"I could not tell much from your message," she observed, remembering her plan to find as much as possible ahead of time, "What is the Sheriff's plan? I did not see Hood at all, is he already at our destination?"

Guy was silent for a moment as if debating what to say. "I don't know," he finally admitted, "The Sheriff desires that most of today's entertainment be completely confidential."

"But surely you have some kind of suspicion?" she raised her eyebrows expectantly.

"Marian," he shifted slightly in his seat, "It is hardly pleasant for me to admit that I have no more idea than you what is going on in the Sheriff's head, but you know just as much as I do about his plans."

"So all you know is that he hopes to kill Hood at noon today?"

"You aren't willing to take my word?" he caught himself and then shook his head, willing himself not to do what always annoyed her - answering a question with a question, "I take that back. Yes, Marian, that is all I know. If I knew more, I would tell you."

Marian could almost feel Djaq studying the man across from them with suspicion, but to her surprise she found that she believed him.

The rest of the ride took place in complete silence; Guy watched Marian, Marian rued the fact that Djaq was there, and Djaq observed them both.

. . .

When they finally reached their destination, Guy sat down next to Marian, wishing that he could be next to the Sheriff where he could get a better idea of what was about to happen before it did. He had been more than slightly surprised by his accidental discovery that morning that the Sheriff had hired a whole company of highly trained - and very expensive - guards for the day. A far cry from his usual 'You're a buffoon of a murderer that I saved from the rope, now you can work for me for a pittance' excuse for guards.  
Even more disturbing was the fact that one of them was stationed near each corner of his and Marian's seating arragements.

The Sheriff, seated all by himself several yards away, signaled for the entertainment to begin.

. . .

The other four outlaws watched with bated breath from the edge of the forest.

"What's taking them so long?" Much demanded anxiously.

"Shh." Robin didn't take his eyes off of the nearby gathering.

"I wish that they'd get on with whatever they're going to do," Much exclaimed, "After all, Marian did say noon and it's got to be almost that now. And they've still got to catch you."

"Much," Robin looked at him with what was almost a glare, "Shut up."

"Well, I don't see how you can be so calm, knowing that they're just waiting to kill you but not knowing what their plan is. I mean, I'm feeling all jittery and it's not even my execution."

"Much!" Robin really was glaring at him now, "If you can't be quiet I'm going to send you back to the camp."

"You wouldn't do that," Much sniffed, then looked at him with a hint of insecurity, "Would you?"

"Not if you can be quiet," Robin let out a short, mirthless chuckle, "Can you be quiet, Much?"

"Of course," he nodded, looking rather offended, "Of course I can be quiet."

"Good, than do it." Robin turned back to observing the scene in front of him.

. . .

Marian gasped as the layer of fabric that had covered the scaffold fell away to reveal a child, not more than 7 years old, standing stiffly with a noose around her neck.

"See that, Hood?" the Sheriff yelled, "Unless you come out on the count of 10, she dies. 1. 2. 3. 4..."

. . .


	7. Chapter 7

. . .

"What are you going to do?" Much asked frantically, his voice rising a couple of octaves, "You can't just let her die!"

Robin frowned and loosed an arrow.

. . .

As the arrow sliced through the rope and stuck into the wooden post in the center of the scaffold, the Sheriff chuckled.

"Nice try, Hood," his voice grated on Marian like sand in a fresh wound, "But we've thought of that. She's tied to the post, and every time you break the rope we replace it and give her a little punishment for your naughty behaviour. Come out, and we'll let her go."

The girl cried out as the hangman slapped her hard twice and then drew down a second rope and fitted it over her head.

"Alright, Vaisey," Robin's voice rang out as he sauntered carelessly out of the woods with his bow over one arm, "Here I am, now let her go."

"Very good..." he drew out the words as he nodded to the hangman to release the child, "Now that you've decided to join our little party, we can get down to business."

Much, watching from the woods, desperately wished that his master had divulged his plan before he left... because he had a sinking feeling that Robin didn't really have one and was improvising as usual.

"Now," the Sheriff leaned back in his chair slightly, and watched as his guards closed in around Robin, "I could just hang you right here and now, but the whole village has turned up for our little show and we don't want to cheat them, do we? No. So let's make things a bit more interesting, shall we?"

As the sheriff glanced their way, a line of guards parted to reveal a pen filled with children, and next to it a small campfire.

"Do you know what those are?" he couldn't keep the smile off his face as Robin's brow furrowed, and he walked closer to where the outlaw stood, speaking quietly, "Those are my special guests, here to help me convince you not to leave the party early. All of the children in this whole town are in that pen, and either you are going to die, or they are. Now, before you get all dramatic on me, allow me to explain the program and your part in it. There are only two things that get on my nerves every single day; the fact that you are still alive, and Gisborne whining about his unrequited love. And killing you right now would only solve one of my problems. So I've come up with a plan that will make everyone happy. Gisborne wants that woman that was your betrothed before you left, and you want your freedom. So, you are going to fight each other for your prize. But I'll let you in on a little secret... Gisborne is going to win because if you were to beat him, all of those children would get - shall we say - toasty."

"You make me sick," Robin responded just as quietly, "You have no idea how many times I have spared your life. It won't happen again."

"No doubt," the confession did nothing to dampen his enjoyment in knowing that he had the upper hand, "So, you have a choice; either you fight Gisborne, lose, and die alone at noon, or you fight Gisborne, win, and have a lot of local company in your trip to hell. Do you understand?"

. . . .

Yes, I know... my stories have not been proof-read.


	8. Chapter 8

Wow, crazy week. Sorry to everyone who has been waiting for this update... hopefully I'll be inspired soon. :-P

. . .

Marian watched the conversation between Robin and the Sheriff with grave apprehension. She was beginning to doubt her ability to keep an unconcerned face if anything happened, and was praying that Robin actually had a plan now that he knew what was going on.

"Robin Hood... traitor, thief, etc etc la de da de da, has conspired against the king for the last time. I would go through the list of his offenses, but I know that you're all eagerly awaiting the entertainment I promised you, so I won't bore you with enumerating on that." the Sheriff walked back to his seat and stood on the box meant to rest his feet on as he addressed the crowds that continued to gather on the outside of the fence, "Now, you all know that the girl was not harmed in any way, and her family was well recompensed for her part as messenger of our invitation to Robin Hood. You see, those who help us are well paid and protected. And those who fight against us, well, they end up swinging from their neck."

Why was Robin waiting patiently in the middle of the fenced off area that the guards were now putting the finishing touches on? That was what Marian desperately wished that she knew.

"Now, as to the order of events, it's simple. My lieutenant, Sir Guy of Gisborne will fight the outlaw in hand to hand combat. If he wins, he gets the girl he loves, and if the outlaw wins, he gets his freedom." A smile twitched across his face, "Now! Let the fight begin!"

"Guy?" Marian turned to him with shock written all over her face, "What is the meaning of this?"

A surge of frustration flowed through him as he stared at the Sheriff for a moment longer before turning back to the guarded, reproachful eyes belonging to the woman seated next to him. Why did someone always get in the way just when he was beginning to make some headway with her?

"Marian," he shook his head earnestly, "I swear to you, I have no idea what is going on. The Sheriff did _not_ confide anything in me. You have to believe me. Say you do."

After a moment of silence, Marian took a deep breath and nodded slightly, "I believe you. But I have no intention of being given to anyone by the Sheriff."

"We'll find a way out of this, I promise," Guy took her hand for a moment's time, "But right now I have to fight. Wish me luck."

Her only answer was a halfhearted smile as he strode forward to meet Robin in the middle of the ring.

"Gisborne!"

Guy stopped next to the Sheriff's chair, bending down slightly to catch his words.

"Don't mess this up," he said quietly, "I'm giving you one more chance with your lady love, but every reward has to be earned. Keep that in mind."

. . .

Yay, now for chapter 9... ;-)


	9. Chapter 9

. . .

"So it is once more down to you and me, Hood," Gisborne looked at him with a sneer as they circled each other, having given their weapons to the guards, "Only this time you won't get away so easy."

"Not if your plan works," Robin agreed, glaring at him, "But then, even the best laid plans have their weak points."

Guy grunted as he swung at Robin's jaw, "You're going to die today, Hood. Plan or no plan."

"I wouldn't be so sure." ducking, Robin dove forwards and tackled him.

. . .

Marian and Djaq watched with bated breath as the two men rolled over in a grunting, pounding, painful mess. After a few minutes, a guard came over and stood in front of them.

"Lady Marian? The Sheriff requests your presence."

Marian got to her feet with a sigh of irritation and motioned to Djaq to follow her as the guard accompanied them to the Sheriff's chair.

"You wished to speak with me?" coming to a stop beside his seat, she kept her eyes on the two men struggling in front of them.

"Ah, Marian," the Sheriff was in a disturbingly good mood and continued to crack nuts with his teeth as he spoke, "Do you know what I love more than anything else in the world?"

This was not what she was expecting, and she stood completely unsure of what to say in reply.

"Predictable people. They will always respond in precisely the same way. The same principle will work time after time after time."

Marian compressed her lips and looked away.

"So to get down to business; if you'd care to look over there... you see those adorable children? All of their hungry little faces staring back at you? Right, well, now we come to the point," he tossed a nut shell over in their direction, "You be extra nice to Gisborne, and they will all be returned to their families and given a loaf of bread and a chicken... half a chicken. Do anything to discourage him, and they won't be hungry again. Ever. Understand?"

A chill ran through Marian as she glanced over and met the frightened eyes of one of the young children.

"Good. You may return to your seat," he settled back in his chair, "Wouldn't want to miss the finale."


	10. Chapter 10

The next two chapters are the reason for the "T" rating on this story. So once again; if you are under 13 or are offended by adult content (it's all implied - nothing graphic I promise), you might want to stop reading now. Consider yourself warned.

. . . .

Djaq followed her silently back to her seat.

"Marian, I'm going to go get the others. The Sheriff probably gave Robin the same 'incentive' he gave you; with the children freed Robin will have a chance." The Saracen woman spoke quietly, "Will you be alright here on your own?"

Shaking off the vague misgivings she felt, Marian nodded, "Of course. Hurry!"

. . .

"Alright," Much nodded, his eyes wide, "Alright, we can do this. we just need a plan! Maybe we should go back to the camp and get some guard armor."

"There isn't time," John said definitively, "We'll have to start from scratch."

"From scratch?" Much questioned, obviously trying to stay calm and failing miserably, "Is that wise?"

"Much!" Djaq exclaimed, finally free of her suffocating veil, "Robin needs our help now! He only has a short time before the Sheriff gets tired of watching the fight."

Much turned a shade paler.

"Right," Will looked at John, "What do we do?"

. . .

The Sheriff sighed impatiently, the sight of Hood and Gisborne rolling about on the ground was getting tiresome. Deciding that it was time to move things along, he got to his feet.

"You're bested, Hood," he shouted, "Now would be the time to surrender."

Robin glanced up as he landed a blow, and saw the Sheriff miming the making of a fire with his hands. With a grunt of frustration and pain as he received what was definitely going to be a black eye, he fought loose and rolled to his feet to face Guy who was also standing by that time.

"I surrender," no word had ever tasted quite so bitter to his tongue, but he masked it with a devil-may-care attitude, "You've won your woman, Gisborne."

Guy looked him up and down with a critical eye, "You don't look bested yet, Hood. Not if you're able to stand on your feet. Besides, both of us know that the woman in question is not so easily won."

"Ah, but the sheriff demanded that I surrender," Robin pointed out, "So I have."

"There is nothing I would like better than to finish you off right now."

"Undoubtedly, but you are slave to the sheriff and of course you always do as he says."

Guy glared at him and turned to leave, "See you on the scaffold, Hood."

"Well done, Gisborne," the Sheriff nodded and motioned to the waiting guards, "Now you must claim your reward."

Marian jumped as two guards grabbed either of her arms and her attention was ripped from the scene in front of her. Glancing in back of her before she flipped out of their grasp, she encountered the unwelcome sight of another guard just behind her, effectively blocking off her only escape route.

"My lord!" Guy protested, panic rising in his throat as he too was restrained and then effectively propelled forwards by the - very well trained - guards.

"Tsk tsk, Gisborne," the Sheriff responded, "Don't let's make a scene. You have earned your reward. Now go claim it."

Marian glanced towards the children one more time and felt a sinking in the pit of her stomach as she registered the fact that they were still surrounded by guards and small camp fires. Looking forwards again, she saw that she was nearing a small barn and suddenly turned cold with realization and almost ripped her arm out of joint as she redoubled her effort to escape.

. . .

"What are they doing?" Will's brow furrowed as he noticed the skirmish.

Djaq glanced away from the distracted guard she was about to run forward and disarm and swallowed hard as she took in the whole scene. Shaking her head, she turned back to the task at hand, "Never mind them. Get the children out and then she and Robin will both have a chance."

. . . .

Alrighty! Beware the next chapter!


	11. Chapter 11

Like I said, this is the chapter that this story is rated for... only implications of course, but I doubt that you'll miss the meaning.

. . .

Marian stumbled forwards as she was shoved inside the barn. Jumping to her feet, she whirled around just in time to see Guy stumble in and the door close behind him. There was a moment of silence before they heard the sound of a board being set across the door; effectively locking them inside.

"Don't take all day, Gisborne," the Sheriff's voice was heard outside the door, "I want to get on to the hanging. And Marian; remember the children."

"What did he mean?" Guy turned to face her.

"So, this is why you were so eager for my presence today." Ignoring his question, she faced him with cold anger evident in her face.

"No, Marian," he shook his head adamantly, "I had no idea that this was... that there was anything more to this than Hood's arrest. I would never injure you or your reputation in this, or any, way."

She stood awkwardly, looking down, her face beginning to burn with embarrassment as her predicament sank in.

"I will _not_ put up with this," Guy growled after a moment's silence; he turned and strode towards the door, "This is wrong."

. . .

Robin was in mental agony; to have to choose between Marian and a pen of children was sheer torture. He only hoped that his gang would show up with a plan to save the day. He compressed his lips and then looked up in rapt attention as two words were heard from the barn.

"Guy! Stop!"

With those two pleading words, he felt as though his life had ended.

. . .

"Please," Marian continued more quietly as he turned back towards her with astonishment written all over his face, "You don't understand. If the Sheriff thinks that I have not... If you leave in displeasure now, the Sheriff will burn a whole pen full of children to death. I know that you might not care, but please, for my sake, wait a little longer."

Guy mulled this over for a moment, frowning. "You do realize that if you stay in here with me for much longer you will be regarded as..." he paused, "As damaged goods."

"I do not care what people think," Marian claimed, knowing that she spoke to convince herself, "I have been a prisoner in the castle, publicly humiliated, and always headstrong. I do not think that I have a reputation to concern myself with."

"And you're wrong," he lowered his voice and stepped forwards, "I do have some humanity left in me. I would not cheerfully watch the Sheriff burn a crowd of children."

She looked at him and then shook herself; the man had probably killed more people than she knew, regardless of age, sex, or infirmity.

"You're loosing your chance to change your mind," Guy pointed out urgently, "A few minutes more and you will no longer be allowed to return to the Abbey. Don't forget that your companion was a witness to all of this."

The words made her pause for longer than he expected, the realization that Robin was also watching hit her hard.

"I will not sacrifice the lives of others for the sake of my future," she answered quietly, a cold feeling settling into her stomach, "If this changes their mind, so be it. I would rather live shunned by all humanity than with the death of others on my conscience."

"It doesn't have to be that way, Marian," Guy stepped closer and gently touched her cheek, looking into her eyes, "You know the way I feel about you. You can save your reputation and enjoy a privileged life. I know that you were disappointed with the Abbey; why regret not being able to return?"

"Why would you think that I was disappointed in the Abbey?" Marian looked up at him, "It was something that I had wanted to join for over a year. I knew what it would be like, and that was what I wanted."

He just looked at her for a minute and then bent down and whispered, "It may have been what you wanted, but I think that the actual experience was less than satisfactory. I know you came back to the castle without permission. There's no sin in enjoying the comforts of life, Marian. Even the Church does not claim that riches are an evil; just that the worship of them is."

Her gaze dropped and she suddenly realized how often she spoke what she wished to be true, as though it would become true if only she wished it enough.

"So what do you say?" he asked, stepping back and taking her unresisting - but still un-encouraging - hand in his, "Will you marry me, Marian?"

. . .

Well... there you go. Until I have time to write more. :-)


	12. Chapter 12

Yipee! Chapter 12! :-D

. . . .

Will knocked out the last guard and took his place around the pen of children before nodding to Much who then nonchalantly bumped one board hard with his sword and looked innocently around as it fell. Djaq and John followed suit and then continued to stand in place as the pen fell apart and the children scattered to their waiting parents.

"Right," John grunted under the murmuring that came from the crowd that had gathered at a respectable distance from the barn, "Will - go find Robin. We wait for him before we make another move."

. . .

Marian opened her mouth for a moment and then closed it again and turned away.

"What is it?" Guy questioned, watching her intently.

"Nothing," she lied, "I just need time to think."

"No, there is something," he insisted, "Every time you begin to soften towards me, something happens - gets in the way. A look comes over your face and then you're back to being the cold, proud, unapproachable sheriff's daughter."

"It's nothing," she repeated, turning back to face him, "Nothing at all."

His jaw worked with frustration for a moment before looking at her again. "Come on, Marian," folding his arms, he looked at her a trifle sternly, "We both know that's not true. There is something that is holding you back from considering me. What is it?"

When she didn't respond he raised his eyebrows, "I'm not going to ask the Sheriff to let us out until you give me the truth."

"The truth?" pursing her lips, she considered this... did she dare?

"I want the truth," he nodded as he bent down and looked her in the eye, "And I meant what I said; we're not leaving this barn until everything is in the open between us. And don't give me a lot of nonsense about the state that England is in, because you know that's not what I mean."

"The truth," she paused for a moment and then straightened her shoulders and returned his gaze, "The truth is that you left your baby to die in the woods. That you burned my home to the ground. That you serve a wicked, power-hungry tyrant of a sheriff, and that with him you have conspired to kill the king." She raised her chin as he looked away, "Too much truth for your taste?"

"I didn't leave him to die."

"What?" her brows drew together in confusion at the quiet statement.

"Seth. Annie's baby. I didn't leave him to die."

"Well than please explain how he came to be in the woods, all alone..."

Guy held up a hand, "I don't know who left him in the woods. If you want to hear the truth than I'll tell you; but you won't believe it."

"Try me."

"Some time before Hood returned, I received word that my mother - my last living relative - had died," he swallowed and turned away before continuing, "That night I... I took comfort from a maid at the castle - Annie. She conceived a child, and I arranged for him to be brought up at the Abbey of Kirklees. The day he was to leave, he disappeared. I went out to look for him and in the woods I met Hood and his men and I got distracted. I never did find the child, and Annie discovered that the baby was not at the Abbey - how I'm not sure - and tried to kill me. Allen rescued her and I never heard from her again."

He turned back to where Marian stood, looking at him searchingly. "As to the other things; I've told you why I serve the Sheriff. I have no one, so I choose power and he is my way to position... standing. But that could change," he paused and brushed her cheek with his hand, "If I had someone to make life worthwhile. And yes, I do have different political beliefs from you; but is that a crime? What difference can either of us really make either way? I do not demand that you change your opinion, can you not overlook mine?"

"What about my home?" she asked again, mainly to buy time to digest his words, "I still don't know why you did that. Even your embarrassment over... my behavior. Even that could not cause you to hate me enough to burn my house and treat me and my father like you did. It was not until several months later when Winchester came to the castle that you began to show me any kindness."

"You're right," Guy drew his hand across his face in a tired gesture, "I did hate you. I would have willingly killed you."

"But why?" even though she had suspected as much, this willing admission brought an unexpected surge of distress, of which her voice showed more than she liked.

"Marian," he spoke slowly, "I've just told you the complete truth; now it's your turn. If you are honest with me, I will tell you what happened to make me hate you for so long."

Licking her lips a trifle nervously, Marian tilted her head and struggled to maintain an unemotional front, "What do you wish to know?"

"The necklace," now it was his turn to look at her searchingly, "You know the one, what really happened?"

A quick intake of breath showed that it was not the question she had been expecting.

"Don't be afraid," sitting down on a nearby bale of hay, he motioned for her to join him, "You tell me the truth, and I swear I will not harm you."

Marian hesitated for a moment and then made up her mind and joined him.

"I went out riding after you gave it to me, someone saw it and informed me of who it belonged to, and I gave it to them to return," she bit her lip slightly, "It's simple enough."

"Ah, now, that part I believe," bending forwards he looked at her from under his brows, "But what I want to know, is who brought it back to you?"

There was silence between them as Marian realized her mistake... what could she do? Her father... no, her father was dead. What reason did she have to continue to deceive?

After what seemed like an eternity, Guy sighed and shook his head. "It's no use, is it?" he got to his feet, "I'm just fooling myself. You'll never trust me enough to tell me the truth."

"Guy, wait!" Marian looked away as he turned back, his expression brightening a shade as a flicker of hope resumed it's place in his eyes. "It was Hood," she whispered finally, unable to look at him, "He brought it back to me."

. . . .

There you are... I figured that I owed you another chapter after all of the short ones I've been doing. :-)


	13. Chapter 13

Horray! In the midst of preparing for guests I have finished chapter 13! Beware: this has not been proof-read, but I figured that you'd rather have an update than wait for me to get it 'perfect'. :-)

. . . .

"There," he put his finger under her chin and tilted her face up towards him, "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Confusion flooded her features and she looked at him blankly for a moment. "You knew all along, didn't you?" she questioned in a slightly accusatory tone, "Why did you want me to tell you if you already knew?"

"What happened to make you so ill right before our wedding?" he countered - a trifle sharply - obviously a little irritated by her tone.

"In for a penny in for a pound, I suppose," Marian took a deep breath, "I... my father... After the Sheriff replaced my father I started... helping people." Pausing, she was suddenly hit with the desire to deceive him again... to keep his good opinion... realizing that she would miss it acutely if she were to lose it again.

"You have always had a soft spot for the less fortunate," observing her face as he spoke, Guy thought he knew the subject that was responsible for her inner battle, "You got injured as a result of helping someone? Hood perhaps?"

"Not exactly. You see, I was uncomfortable with the idea that after I married you I would be unable to... help anymore." Making up her mind, Marian forged ahead bravely, "And I decided to go on one last fling before I retired. So, one night I put on my disguise and went to..." her voice faltered unexpectedly. To admit that she was the Night-Watchman (though, admittedly, she could be sealing her fate as she spoke) was one thing, to admit to the man that she had publicly jilted at the alter that she had chosen to steal from _him_ as her last act as an unmarried woman was another thing entirely.

"Go on," he prodded, wondering if she was really intending to tell him the whole truth this time, "Where did you go?"

"Locksley," she admitted, her throat inconveniently tight, "I went to Locksley and stole from you as the Night-Watchman. You stabbed me with your dagger, Robin brought me back to his camp, Djaq treated me, and then they brought me back to my father. And that's the whole truth, whether you like it or not."

Hope surged through Guy; he had hardly expected her to admit all that she had so quickly.

"Now that you've told me," he leaned forwards slightly, "Let me answer your question as to why I hated you. When you showed me the necklace, it reassured me of your loyalty and honesty. That was why I did not expect your behaviour that day in church. I was embarrassed, yes, but as I picked up your ring from the ground suddenly the way that you had struck me unaccountably brought back my encounter with the Night-Watchman on the day of the archery tournament last year. Slowly everything began to make sense, and by the time that the Sheriff sent me to bring you to the castle, I had begun to hate you. I gladly destroyed your house, and every time you appeared as the Night-Watchman at the castle, I did my best to destroy you as well. But for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to hurt you when you were dressed as yourself, and I couldn't admit to the Sheriff once again that I had been mistaken in you. It was not until Winchester's visit that I realized how precious you still were to me. I've thought about this for a long time, and I can overlook the Night-Watchman, Marian, but I can not be happy without you." His voice became quieter as he finished, and his hand brushed hers, "So I ask you once again, will you marry me?"

. . . .


	14. Chapter 14

After a hard day of work, I think I deserve some time to write, don't you? ;-)

. . . .

The Sheriff shouted from outside the door, "60 seconds, Gisborne! Hurry up! We've got a hanging to attend!"

A few voices cheered from the crowd, but were quickly hushed.

. . .

Will took advantage of the fact that everyone's attention was fixated on the barn to knock out the guards and free Robin. Working together, they quickly removed the guard's armor and replaced his helmet with the bag that the executioner had recently drawn over Robin's head.

"Let's go," arriving back to where the others were waiting, Robin nodded to his gang, "Before the Sheriff realizes I'm gone."

"Robin," Djaq put in, raising her eyebrows, "Marian is in the barn with Gisborne."

"And there's nothing we can do for her now," the expression on his face was decidedly disheartened, "Didn't you hear the Sheriff? Any... damage... has already been done. If she gets taken back to the castle we'll intercept the carriage on the way there, or think of a plan to get in and get her out."

. . .

"Well?" Guy asked finally, feeling the seconds, and his hope, passing quickly by.

Marian got to her feet and turned away, her mind still whirling with the information that she had received so hurriedly. Shaking herself out of her daze and knowing that she had time to digest the information fully later, her thoughts turned to Robin and the forest... warmth, tenderness, restraint, grunge, suffocation, darkness... one thing she knew without a doubt; her love for Robin, however sincere, was not strong enough to overcome her fear of an cage - perhaps not physical, but just as tangible to her. Besides, as much as it wounded her pride to admit it even to herself, she did not want to do without what she considered the necessities of life; namely privacy, water, and cleanliness.  
Never considering herself to need love as Robin did, it came as a surprise when she felt what could almost be fear at the thought of being looked down upon (the inevitable result of the Sheriff's plan) by the respectable common people that the gang would help.

Shying away from Robin, her thoughts turned towards Guy. Deceit, hiding, always h... wait, no more hiding; he knew the worst, the darkness she had associated with him no longer had a reason to exist. She might not have more than a small amount of fondness towards him, but on the dark nights at the camp, when she had more time than she wished to think, she had found herself surprised by the attraction she felt towards him. Robin's words on the night she had almost died had played in her mind over and over, "You are stirred by him"... and she could not deny that they had truth to them - even more than she would own to herself. The cruelty that she had experienced from him during the time after their almost wedding suddenly made sense, and the following kindness and times that he had accompanied her outside the castle during her house arrest and allowed her to return alone suddenly had more meaning now that she realized that he had known her secret all along.

. . .

"Ten, nine, eight," the Sheriff motioned to the crowd to take up the chant with him, "seven, six, five..."

. . .

As the final seconds ticked by, marked by the voices outside, Marian reached a decision. Turning back towards Guy, she glanced up at him and said simply, "Yes."

The lock was undone and the door flung open, but he just stood and looked at her; the expression on his face was indescribable.

. . . .

Like I've said... if you've enjoyed it, let me know! :-) (nice) reviews totally make my day!


	15. Chapter 15

Life is crazy here, but I used my cold as an excuse to grab enough time to update! :-) Hope y'all enjoy it! _ Hey, this chapter has been updated... you might want to glance over it again to help the following chapters make more sense.

. . . .

"Bring Hood in the..." the Sheriff paused for a moment, and then turned to look down at the prisoner from his seat on his horse, "No, tie his hands and then give me the other end of the rope. Hear that, Hood? Now you'll see what it feels like to be several - long - steps behind me!"

"For a change!" a voice snorted out, but when the Sheriff glared behind him naturally no one met his eyes.

"Gisborne!" he shouted, "You clean things up here, I'm going to go... prepare things for our guest."

"As you wish, my lord," Guy nodded and watched as the Sheriff took off with the poor man running behind him before turning to Marian, "We can visit the priest on the way back; I'm sure that news has reached him by now... he won't refuse to marry us quickly."

"Now?" Marian's eyes widened as she met his eyes.

"Of course," he raised an eyebrow, "You're not having second thoughts again... are you?"

"No..." biting her lip she looked away, "Not exactly. It's just... Well, it hasn't really sunk in yet. I don't know if I'm ready."

"I'm tired of these games, Marian," bending down, he spoke quietly into her ear, "The offer I made you is only good right now. By tomorrow this time, you will be a shunned woman and a man in my position cannot be associated with someone like that. So make up your mind. I don't want you halfway; I want you wholeheartedly or not at all."

"Fifteen minutes," she glanced up at him, "Please. Let me go into the woods for fifteen minutes. I will come back, I promise."

"Fifteen minutes," Guy nodded after glancing back to the figure stumbling behind the Sheriff as if to reassure himself that Robin was not the attracting factor in the woods, "Just while I get things cleaned up here."

. . .

After sending John, Djaq, and Will to get more firewood as they waited for Marian to show up, Robin sat down and stared out of their camp into the forest. He was silent for a long time before saying, as if to himself, "I don't know if I can do it."

"Do what?" Much asked, looking up from where he was chopping vegetables with more force than was strictly necessary.

"Treat her the same," he sighed and buried his head in his hands as if ashamed, "Forget that it was Gisborne that had her first. Accept her back into the camp."

"Well," Much shook his head, "Can't you just pretend that it never happened? I mean, it didn't change your mind about her when she was engaged to Gisborne all those months ago."

"This is different," Robin leaned back and stared up at the sky, hating his weakness, "If she had married Gisborne it would have changed everything... because that couldn't have been undone. Just like this...This can't be undone."

Much glanced sideways at him, but didn't say anything.

"You're always saying that I need to be loved," he continued, not seeming to notice Much's uncharacteristic silence, "You're right. But more than that I need to be respected, well thought of... I want to have everyone's good opinion. You know what people will say if I accept Marian back here after that interlude in the barn, don't you? The question is; can I sacrifice being loved, respected and well thought of by all of the people that I help? I don't know... I'm weak, Much. I know it. And I hate it. But I don't know what to do about it."

"Not to interrupt you," Djaq said, walking down into the camp, "But Marian is on her way."

. . .

"John?" Marian ducked under a branch as she neared the camp, "J... Oh, Robin! You're all right! I was just about to see if the Night Watchman was going to have any help rescuing the infamous outlaw from the Sheriff."

"Marian, I wish you wouldn't be so ready to risk your life as the Night..." Robin moved forwards and then stopped short and looked away, "I'm sorry."

"For not wanting me to be the Night Watchman, or for not being a prisoner?" she let out a short laugh, "Well, let me reassure you; I'm very happy that you're safe and that in this instance I don't have to be the Night Watchman."

"No," still refusing to meet her eyes, Robin studied the forest floor as he heard the rest of his band coming up behind him, "For not being able to rescue you."

"Marian!" John walked up behind Robin and looked her up and down as if to reassure himself that she was really standing there, "You're alright?"

"Yes..." her voice trailed off and she could feel her face growing hot under their gaze as she remembered her predicament.

"Will, Djaq, Much," Robin jerked his head towards the camp, "John, I want to speak to Marian alone."

Watching as the others - even Much - nodded and walked silently away without an argument, Marian wished desperately to know what was going on in Robin's head and whether or not she had to broach the awkward subject.

. . . .

*Sigh* How I wish that Season 2 had a different ending... but I suppose I must content myself with Fan Fiction! - Sorry, randomness.


	16. Chapter 16

Hey, I edited the previous chapter... adding a little conversation between Robin and Much before Marian appears. Make sure that you pop on over and read it. :-)

. . . .

"What?" Robin scoffed, looking shocked and a little angry, "You can't marry Guy of Gisborne! I don't care how much you say he understands you! You belong here, in the forest, with me."

"Robin," Marian got the distict impression that he had only heard the first half of what she had just said, "Different people have different gifts... yours is living in the forest, fighting for truth and justice. Mine is working within the system; I understand it, and I feel that I accomplish more when I am where I..." her voice trailed off slightly, "Belong."

"But you belong with me!" his earlier doubts forgotten, Robin put all of his persuasive energy to work, "We love each other! And you wanted to come here for so long. Now you're part of my gang - you don't have to work alone anymore!"

"But that's just it," Marian shook her head, "When I'm here it's not that I don't have to work alone, but that I don't have to work at all. At least not doing the work that I love. I'm not cut out for life in the forest, Robin, I hate the smells and the grime, and the fact that to wash up means stripping down in a forest at midnight. I have never been comfortable with working with more than one person at a time - you know that. And I'm sorry, but I can't change who I am."

"But... Gisborne!" Robin shook his head in exasperation before looking at her seriously, "You know that you are going to have to promise to obey him. And it's not a promise you can break as easily as you might like. You are going to promise before God that you will love, respect, and obey that man. Can you really do that?"

Marian's gaze wavered for a moment, "I... I think so. I can do my best. Guy has never tried to change who I am, Robin... everyone else in my life; you, my father, the Sheriff, even my maids have tried to make me into something I'm not. You want me to be more like Djaq, my father wanted me to be more like my mother... but I'm not - and I never will be - anyone else but myself. Marian. The NightWatchman. Lady. Freedom Fighter. And Guy is the first person that has even tried to except me as all of me - not just one side of me."

. . .

Guy looked towards the woods with growing anxiety as the certainty that Marian had changed her mind crept rapidly over him. He had no real way of telling time, but he was certain that it had been much longer than fifteen minutes. Pacing apprehensively, he ran a gloved hand over his face and cursed the fickleness of women.

"Are you ready to go?" Marian startled him when she spoke from behind.

"You came back," he breathed, turning around, "You haven't changed your mind?"

"No," she even looked slightly surprised by the question, "But I was wondering... will I have time to change my dress? It doesn't feel quite right to get married without a special dress."

"If we don't want to give the Sheriff a chance to object, we have to get married as quickly as possible." Guy stepped closer to her disappointed face and lowered his voice, "But I'll tell you what; we can have a real wedding on Sunday... and I'll buy you whatever dress you want."

. . . .

I'm trying to have them stay in character while still being in a very different situation. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to (kindly) let me know. I appreciate your input! (And of course, I like to hear that you like what I've written... *adamantly denying that I write just for kind reviews*...)


	17. Chapter 17

Well folks, here you have it: a longer chapter. *takes a bow* thank you, thank you... ;-) jk

Oh, and more warnings for implications... on second thought, don't read this story if that bothers you... and just assume that each chapter has something that might - by some stretch of the imagination - be objectionable. :-) Ok? Ok. Now we understand each other.

. . . .

The church was nearly empty, and the priest disapprovingly quiet, as Guy and Marian promised themselves to each other. In spite of the cool shadows of the old stone church, Marian felt a very unexpected hope and... _safety_ flow over her as she solemnly vowed to obey, serve, love, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others to keep herself only unto him.

The ceremony went smoothly, though when she looked up at him as he took the ring - a delicate red stone encircled with small diamonds - she could swear that he flinched slightly as he placed it on her finger. A moment later she forgot about it as the priest pronounced that they were Man and Wife, and blessed their marriage in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

"Sir Guy of Gisborne," he finished, still unsmiling as he remembered the tale told to him of the atrocity that this man had commited on this very afternoon, "I now invite you to kiss your wife."

An excited shiver danced over Marian as he leaned closer and she suddenly remembered how much she had longed for his arms and kiss on the freezing nights in the forest. It almost seemed unreal as he placed his bare hand on the back of her neck and drew her towards him, but it became completely real and wonderful when their lips met and a feeling of warmth infused her.

It was only a few seconds later that the priest cleared his throat and they broke apart, but Marian could not resist the urge to draw him down for one more brief kiss, regardless of the presence of the priest who was doubtless surprised by the apparent tenderness of this woman for the man who had abused her so unconscientiously

. . .

"What do you mean it's not Hood?"

The guard was certain that no one else could look quite as sinister when in shock as the Sheriff. "It's not him, sir, it's," the man paused, not quite sure how to phrase this so that he had the best chance of staying alive, "Well, it's one of the men you hired."

"Not again!" the Sheriff grabbed the nearest object - a candle stick - and threw it directly at the man's head.

"What should we do with him, sir?" the guard flinched as the candle stick bounced off his helmet with a clang.

"I said I wanted a hanging," he bared his teeth at the other man, "So HANG HIM! I'm surrounded by incompetent idiots! This is the last time I hire special guards! A lot of good they did me! Curse them! I should have killed him when I had the chance instead of waiting. But wait... Ooh, this might work," he continued to himself as the man left the room, "No great loss without some small gain, eh? The people think that Robin Hood has died, they lose hope and stop being so rebellious! Now, if only Gisborne would return, we could see about preventing Hood from rescuing the man, or showing his face around here for a while... perhaps forging a message from the king? No, he might suspect that... perhaps if we..."

"My lord," Guy opened the door and strode inside, "The guards tell me that Hood escaped?"

"Yes yes, but I..." his voice trailed off and then his face fell and he took on a tone of complete frustration when he spotted Marian behind Guy, "What's this? Tell me that you tried her out and decided that it was better to have whatever woman you wanted whenever you wanted. Tell me that you remembered what I said about lepers, TELL ME that she hasn't convinced you that she cares for you now after all she's done."

"My lord," Guy braced himself for the Sheriff's response, "Meet my wife, Lady Gisborne."

"Your wife?" an expression of disbelief, quickly followed by anger, flew over his face as he grabbed Guy's collar and dragged him down closer to his level, "Your WIFE? This is the last straw, Gisborne, THE LAST STRAW! Get out of the castle! And don't even THINK about coming back until I send for you! I'm going to give you time to think over and repent of your mistakes! Maybe after a week or two you'll have enough SENSE to see what a dreadful thing you've done!"

When they left - Marian pausing to collect her clothes from her old room - he was standing with his fists clenched as he continued to shout at the top of his lungs.

. . .

"Well," Guy leaned back in the carriage and put his arm casually around Marian, trying to pretend that he did it every day and that she was not likely to shrug him off, "Since the Sheriff has forbidden me to come back for a while, we have some time to enjoy each other's company without interruption."

Shaking herself out of the guilty feeling that started up as it always had in the past when she had allowed herself to enjoy anything to do with him, Marian reminded herself that she was married to him now and allowed herself to relax against him and lean her head against his shoulder.

Unable, and not even wanting, to keep a slow smile from spreading across his face, Guy tightened his arm and enjoyed the warmth of her body against him.

"When we get to ... our house," voice warming as he spoke, "I will send a messenger to let the nuns know that you are safe," even as he spoke, she stiffened against him and suddenly he realized something, "Where is the woman that accompanied you?"

Marian drew back to where she could see him and opened her mouth, dreading what she had to say to him.

"Wait," he laid a finger to her lips as a look of sudden comprehension spread over his face, "Let me guess. That arrow, the one that was tied to the sheet that you escaped with, that belonged to Hood, didn't it? You never went to the Abbey, you would feel too caged there. You stayed in the forest with Hood and his outlaws, didn't you? That woman... was she the Saracen that is with Hood?"

The guilty look on her face confirmed his suspicions, but when she opened her mouth, he shook his head.

"No," disappointment and a sense of betrayal were obvious on his face, "No more lies. You were there, with him. He has kissed you, touched you... you stayed in the barn with me to protect him."

"It wasn't like that," Marian protested, feeling as though she had committed a crime, "He didn't... we never... I never did more than hold his hand twice during the entire time I was in the forest. I came today because I was curious and I was eager to see you."

"Do not speak to me," the raw emotion in his voice revealed more than he expected, "After everything I told you. That whole time in the barn you were still deceiving me. Laughing at me. When I married you..."

The carriage ground to a halt outside of the house at Locksley, and Guy exited the carriage as quickly as possible.

"Thornton, bring in Lady Marian's things and place them in the spare bedroom." Guy didn't look back as he spoke to the steward before disappearing into the house.

Marian clenched her jaw and blinked several times, trying to channel her hurt into anger as she always did. Thornton helped her out with a bow and then motioned for one of the servants to bring her trunk into the house.

As they walked slowly towards the house the kindly old man, who had heard rumors of the events of the afternoon, squeezed her hand slightly. "Are you alright, m'lady?" his voice was quiet.

Marian was silent for a moment, the kindness of the gesture threatening to break the emotional barriers that she kept trying to keep in place. "Of course," she said, after being sure that her voice would remain steady, "But thank you for asking. Is there somewhere that I can go to be alone?"

"Sir Guy keeps several horses," Thornton observed, "I will have the stable hand to saddle one for you. The path over there leads to a secluded spot next to a small lake. It is quite peaceful for those who wish for a place to think."

"Thank you," Marian nodded, "I believe that I will go directly to the stable. If Sir Guy asks, please tell him that I went for a ride... but please add that I did not ride into the forest."

"Of course."

. . .

Thornton and the stable hand stood watching as Marian rode away, cantering down the path worn through the tall, sun bleached grass.

"Why'd Gisborne have her things brought inside?" the man asked, looking at Thornton questioningly.

"They were married, Gawain," the steward answered with a sigh, "She's his wife now."

"Oh," was all he had to say until the older man left, then he turned and looked after her with an appraising eye, "So that's Gisborne's woman..."

. . . .

Hey, have you ever read the woman's part of midieval wedding vows? Well here you go... "_BRIDE'S VOW:_ I _ take thee_ to my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to be bonny and buxom at bed and at board, to love and to cherish, till death us depart, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereunto I plight thee my troth." No kidding... I just couldn't imagine Marian promising to be 'bonny and buxom at bed and at board'...

I thought for sure that they were kidding, but I looked it up several places and they all said the same thing. o_O


	18. Chapter 18

Alrighty, in this chapter we have a flashback to "A Clue: No". :-) Just want to give credit where credit is due.

. . . .

Guy slammed his hand onto the door to his room. Frustration and anger poured through him. "She continues to try to deceive me! I was completely honest," he stormed, "I told her everyth..." his voice trailed off as his rarely listened to conscience tugged weakly at his mind.

_"Sir Guy, I must ask you a difficult question." her voice was slightly hesitant, but determined to get an answer._

_"I'm intrigued." his curiosity was genuinely aroused, and he hoped that this was a sign that she was opening up to him a little more._

_"Did you try and kill the king in the Holy Land?" _

_"Pardon?" stalling for time he feigned not to have understood her, but all the while his mind was racing with the implications of her question._

_"Is it true that last year you were not in quarantine with a fever but that you traveled to the Holy Land, you and others dressed as Saracens and tried to kill the king?" expectant eyes fixed themselves on Guy as he turned away for a moment._

_Unable to focus on the question, Guy turned to face her with the words, "Robin Hood?"_

_"What of him?" her brows creased questioningly._

_"Are you talking to him?" his eyes searched hers, looking for a lie._

_"This is a rumor which has been circulating," she avoided the question so seamlessly that it was almost unnoticeable, "And I need an answer."_

_Truth and a lie fought together so strongly in him that he was certain she would be able to see it on his face. Her next sentence quickly ended the battle._

_"I could not marry you if it were true."_

_His decision made, he walked slowly towards her, circling her. "Rumors, Marian?" he reached her back and leaned down to her ear, "You need to be more careful who you listen to."_

_Looking awkward and slightly embarrassed, Marian opened her mouth and then closed it again._

_"The day the king returns is a day of joy for me," smoothing out his face, he hoped that he managed the expression of earnest gentleness that he was aiming for, "It is the day I marry you."_

_Growing noticeably more agitated, Marian fidgeted where she stood, "I... I am not sure."_

_"Well," his voice was still quieter than normal, the lower tone creating the illusion of more intimacy than actually existed, "You must be sure."_

_"But..." she looked as though she did not know what she was intending to say._

_"Have you not seen what you do to me?" he asked, lowering his voice still more as he avoided the subject with a subtlety that would have done her credit, "My... passion for you?"_

_Then came that singularly unsatisfactory kiss... in hind sight he realized that she had almost fled, but at the time the newness of affectionate contact with her had caused the kiss to affect him more than he wished her to know._

_"I have never felt like this before..." he swallowed hard, wondering if she knew how she could turn him on._

_She must have at least guessed, because a glint of fear flashed suddenly in her eyes as she started quickly towards the door, "I must go."_

_"Stay." he begged, preventing her with his arm._

_"I must go!" she insisted, her sudden flight cooling him better than anything else could have._

_"Not until you tell me you believe me." remembering his story, he held her still._

_Pausing for an instant, she looked soberly up into his eyes and then smiled slightly, "I believe you."_

_Breaking free of his grasp, Marian fled the house. As soon as she disappeared, Guy sat down; exhausted from the exchange and somehow regretting that he had managed to deceive her._

Coming back to the present, Guy realized that he was glaring fiercely at his pillow. His shoulders stiffened even more as he berated himself for lying to her because of the fear of losing her. It would have been better to tell her the truth and lose her right then, and yet... everything had worked out so nicely this afternoon, if only she... no, if he had truly told her everything... He hated the fact that he had not told her about his trip to the Holy Land, partly because he now had no reasonable excuse to be angry at Marian for her omission, and partly because he now felt that he must confess his. And, even as her living with Hood in the forest killed him internally, he knew that his part in that attempt on the king - and worse, his lies about it - was enough to kill any regard she might have harbored for him.

Sighing heavily, Guy walked heavily downstairs; once again determined to tell her the whole truth.

. . .

Marian sat with her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms encircling them. She tried to keep the wounded pride and anger hot in her heart, but it seemed to insist upon melting into the peacefulness of the pond and the breeze on the rushes, leaving only regret and hurt; two emotions that she spent much of her time trying to avoid.  
Sighing deeply, she finally allowed the tenseness to ease out of her neck and shoulders as she closed her eyes and felt the breeze on her face. Ever practical, her mind took advantage of the quietness to try to decide how to explain things in a way that would draw a truthful - and more acceptable - picture for her new husband.

A few minutes later the soft crackling of footsteps behind her drew her mind back to Guy, and she stiffened again, determined not to show weakness by being the one to turn and make up when the fight was not of her making. A moment later she felt an instant of a sharp pain and then the blackness took her.

. . .

"Marian?" Guy strode purposefully out into the courtyard of the house and then stopped uncertainly, "Thornton, have you seen Lady Gisborne?"

Even though his master looked anything but happy, Thornton noticed that his ending term caused a quick sparkle of light to dance across his eyes before it vanished and left in it's place the demanding look that he expected.

"I believe Lady Gisborne went for a ride, my lord."

"And which way did she go?" Guy asked, enunciating each word but lowering his voice as was his wont when clarifying a question that should have been answered the first time.

Thornton hesitated for a moment, but - knowing that any unpleasant conversation would go better for Marian were they outside - then sighed and nodded towards the path, "I believe she went that way, sir, down towards the pond."

Guy briefly nodded his thanks but then turned and stopped the steward, "Thornton?"

"Sir?"

"You've known Marian since she was a small child, isn't that so?"

The man nodded, "I worked at Knighton Hall until her mother died, and then I came here. Her and her father were frequent visitors."

"There is another side to her, is there not? One that is passionate, warm, and loving?"

"That is how I have always known her." Thornton looked as though he wasn't sure where this was leading, but still didn't quite like telling this information.

"She used to be engaged to Hood," Guy observed, eyeing his steward narrowly, "Did you ever hear of any..." his voice trailed off and he shifted his weight uncomfortably, not wanting to voice the words.

"Oh, no sir!" Thornton hastened to reassure him, "I remember that Robin used to complain that even though she was lighthearted and playful, it was not until they were engaged that she allowed him to hold her hand. They had been engaged for several months before she gave into his request for a kiss. Her mother was the same way until her marriage to Sir Edward."

"So you would trust her alone, in the dark, with Hood?"

"Well," a pause took place, during which Thornton debated the wisdom of speaking the entire truth, "I might not trust Robin in such a circumstance with any other woman, but with Marian... you can be sure that she would never allow anything that would not be considered completely proper."

"Thank you, Thornton." his voice was warm with relief.

. . . .

Reviews make my world go round... :-)


	19. Chapter 19

My goal is to finish this story before NaNoWriMo starts... we'll see.

. . . .

"I still can't believe that you just let Marian marry Gisborne," Much said disapprovingly over supper, "I mean, she came here ahead of time and you didn't do anything to stop her. And now she's got to live the rest of her life married to that... that... man."

The rest of the gang remained uncomfortably silent as Robin sat with his chin propped up on one hand as he played with the food on his plate.

"I mean, if you had told us I might have been able to stop it like I did the last one," Much huffed, "But now... now she's Gisborne's wife. And you're right; that can't be undone."

"Much," Robin said quietly, not looking at him, "Shut up."

"Why does everyone keep saying that to me?" Much felt that he had a right to be offended by the often repeated words, "And don't finish by saying something nasty, because I know how much you regretted what you said to me the last time she got married."

"Marian made her choice," Robin said, looking up with a hint of frustration in his face, "And as much as I hate to admit it, Guy has me beat; 2 to 1. You and I have known Marian all her life, Much; do you ever remember her making the same bad decision twice?"

"No," he admitted, his mouth tightening with the unpleasant admission, "If she ever made the same decision again, it meant that she was completely convinced - body mind and soul - that it was the right thing to do."

"I am sorry that she chose Gisborne," Robin added for clarification, "Perhaps a little less disappointed now than I would have been this morning - considering the events of this afternoon - but I know Marian. I know when I've lost. And I know that to try to change her mind would be to compromise even our friendship. She has never been one to look back once a decision has been made."

"Well, maybe that's true," Much said, "But I know sulking when I see it, and that's what you are doing."

"I'm not sulking," he shook his head wearily, "I'm mourning the loss of a dream."

. . .

Floating up from a comfortable darkness to a cold, painful reality, Marian blinked in the last light of the setting sun and groaned.

"Well well, and how is Lady Gisborne this evening?" the man who had saddled her horse for her earlier that afternoon spit out the words like a curse, "Not sure what hit you, perhaps? Missing your new husband?"

"Who are you?" her voice sounded weaker than she expected as her eyes slowly brought him into focus.

"Gawain," he answered with mock courtesy, "The stable hand for Gisborne, perhaps you remember me? No, of course not. The rich never notice those they step on."

"I remember you," trying to put a hand to her aching head, she realized that she was effectively hogtied; hands together, feet together, and a rope connecting them, "Where are we?"

"A shack in the woods outside of Bingham," Gawain seemed perfectly willing, even eager, to answer all of her questions, "And now your next question is why I've brought you here?"

Taken slightly aback, Marian nodded.

"Well, that's easy enough," he told her, "You see, I'm going to give Gisborne a taste of suffering and loss. Your part is to be the one that is lost. I didn't expect to have the chance so soon, but our little tiff as you arrived worked out perfectly; when he realizes that you are actually missing - not just avoiding him - he'll have a long search and in the end arrive just too late to rescue you. And now, I'm afraid that you're going to be gagged. Can't afford the risk of a good healthy yell; not that it would do any good just yet, but later it might speed the progress prematurely."

Calm and always accepting of the unavoidable, Marian sat in quiet dignity as he gagged her, resisting the urge to give him a good healthy bite.

"Alright," he stood up and made his way to the door, "I'm going to go help look for you. Of course, sooner or later Gisborne is going to discover that I'm the one responsible for your disappearance, but until then I'm going to get an up close and personal look at how much he suffers when you desert him. Enjoy your evening, m'lady."

The door had scarcely closed behind him before Marian began working at her bonds.

. . .

To say that Guy felt unsettled after finding only Marian's horse at the pond would be an understatement, but when he discovered the small patch of blood on the ground just behind the imprint where she sat he was more disturbed than he wished to admit. Having dispatched as many of his servants to look for her as possible, he searched the house and then the barn as thoroughly as possible before moving onto the village.  
It was after midnight when he finally returned to his house, drooping in discouragement and cursing his temper and accusations - though his rational mind still insisted that he had good reason to distrust her, his heart continued to whisper that he was the last person to have the right to throw stones for that reason.  
Ascending the stairs, he threw himself heavily onto his bed and closed his eyes, telling himself that it was only for a few minutes.

. . .

Certain that the continued sawing of the rope had removed all of the skin on her wrists, Marian doggedly continued to rub the knot against a board that was infuriatingly smooth. Swallowing shallowly, she wished desperately for a drink of water, reflecting that the ache around her mouth was not the worst effect of the gag but rather the infernal dryness that extended all the way down her throat.  
As the moon peeped in through the large cracks between the boards, Marian strained to see if she had made any progress on her bonds; her heart sinking dismally when she realized that it would take her at least another day or two to remove them that way. Slumping back against the wall in defeat, she closed her eyes and sighed heavily, reminded as she did so of her dry throat and aching mouth.

. . .

Robin sighed and stared up through the darkness of the leaves at the three stars that insisted upon shining in spite of the brightness of the moon. The feeling of having lost Marian again was not like anything that he expected it to be. There was the hollow feeling of disappointment gnawing at his heart, but the crushing pain of the previous time was simply not there.

. . .

It was not much later that Guy snapped awake after a disturbing dream of Marian and Robin kissing in the forest. Groaning, he sat up, intending to close the drapes that were letting the moon shine onto his face, but as he did so his hand brushed the small stand next to his bed and something slipped to the floor. His curiosity aroused, he picked up the piece of rag paper and brought it over to the moon lit window.

"Gisborne - You stole another man's sweetheart and now another man has stolen yours. She'll be dead by sundown."

. . . .

Reviews keep me writing! ;-)


	20. Chapter 20

Okay, there are a couple of references to other episodes in this chapter... but it's mostly mine. Enjoy. :-)

. . . .

"Robin of Locksley?" the man's voice rang out, breaking the stillness of the midnight woods, "If you're here, show yourself! I have a message from the king!"

Robin blinked and then jumped to his feet, hurrying towards the sound.

"Lawrence Mclellan?" he called out as the shadowy figure came into view, "Is that you?"

"Aye!" the other man carefully set down the crate he carried and swung himself forwards with an ease that bespoke much practice of getting around with only one leg, "I'm glad I've found you! I went to Locksley and your steward told me that you were no longer lord of the manor; you have a lot to explain. But first: here is the message from the king. I have a pigeon here to send a reply, and it must be done very soon... tonight if possible."

. . .

Guy tore down the stairs, his mind racing as to who could have written the note; he had not exactly been known for his chastity in years past and had never bothered to ask if a woman he fancied had a husband or sweetheart.

"My lord?" Thornton hurried in from the direction of the servants' quarters, "Is everything alright?"

"No, everything is not alright," Guy growled angrily, pausing on his way out the door, "My wife is still missing. I'm going out to look for her. If she is found, keep her here and guard her with your life until I return."

Rushing out to the barn, he looked around for the stable hand but did not wait to find him. Saddling his horse himself, he set off at a dead gallop towards the forest, his heart beating in time to the sound of his horse's hooves. The dread that had filled his heart at the confirmation that Marian was not staying away of her own accord and the need to find her - to make things right - pushed him to do what he would never have considered in other circumstances.  
Doing his best to remember the way that Allan had lead him on the day when he had agreed to bring him to Hood's camp but had been intercepted on the way, Guy slowed his horse to a canter and then to a walk as he went further into the forest. Not long afterwards, there was the sound of a gong as something knocked him off of his horse - which promptly fled the scene- and then suddenly he was lifted up into the air, cursing loudly.

"Hood!" he shouted, hating the fact that he was unable to meet his opponent on horseback in a dignified manner, "Hood! Get me down! I must speak with you."

Robin's head shot up in confusion as his attention was ripped from Djaq, Will, John, and Much as they argued about composing the message to the king.

"That sounds like Gisborne," he exclaimed, "He must have heard about your arrival, Lawrence, what else would he be doing in the forest in the middle of the night? Much, John, and Will; you come with me. Djaq; just get that message written and the bird released."

Running towards their trap, Robin slowed as the rope - and Guy - appeared, flooded with moonlight.

"Well well," he smirked, walking up with a bit of a swagger, "Looks like we caught a skunk, lads!"

"Hood!" Guy shouted again furiously, frantic to get his mission explained, "Get me down! Marian is going to die unless you help me."

Robin stared up at him, his heart going cold. "You coward," he spit out when he found his voice again, remembering that he must not reveal his connection to Marian in front of Guy, "She means nothing to me now. Do whatever you want to her; you won't get any help from me."

"No... Just get me down and let me speak with you. I'm unarmed. Please," his voice cracked slightly over the unfamiliar word, "I'll give you anything you want if you will just help me to find her before sundown."

. . .

"So," Robin said, propping his chin up on his hand, "Marian is missing, you want us to help you find her, and you're willing to pay for our services, is that about right?"

Guy sighed in wearily; after a half hour of sitting beneath the rope that had pulled him into the air and explaining the situation and then answering more of the outlaw's questions than he was completely comfortable with, he had expected something a little less obvious from the other man, but he kept his thoughts to himself and simply nodded.

"Alright, Gisborne," he continued, leaning forwards with an intense look on his face, "We'll help you find her. But we won't take any payment for it."

"What?" Much gasped, looking as though he would have bartered for just about anything.

"Go on," the command was directed at Guy, though Robin glanced at Much as he spoke, "Get some rope and extra horses me and my men, and meet us at the pond."

Marian jumped awake as the door was slammed shut, the early morning light just beginning to seep through the cracks in the walls. Gawain angrily cut the rope around her ankles, and pulled her to her feet, using the end of the rope that had been attached to her feet as a leash.

"Your husband got an early start this morning," he announced, glaring at her as if it were her fault, "Apparently he found my note several hours before I expected him to. You know what that means? It means that we have to get an early start as well if everything is going to go according to plan."

Stumbling after him as they left, Marian prayed that Guy would find her before it was too late.

. . .

"Why didn't you ask him for money? Your house back? Even a chicken would be better than nothing!" Much asked in annoyance as they watched Guy leave in the general direction of his house, "He probably would have given you just about anything; you know how he feels about Marian"

"I don't want him to wake up someday and wonder if she was worth the price he paid. Besides," Robin added, a grin coming over his face , "Now he's in our debt. And that is a new position for Sir Guy of Gisborne; one he won't like very much."

. . .

Even the cool morning air felt harsh on her dry throat, and each breath was acutely painful, as Marian followed Gawain through the woods at a run.

"For when he brings his dogs," he had announced over his shoulder, "We're going to give him quite a chase. It'll make it all the more moving when he finds you blowing in the wind; dead."

Marian couldn't help a slight shiver at his words,and she wondered even more what had happened to this man to cause him to revert to this kind of revenge.  
After what seemed like an eternity, he stopped and sat - dragging her down with him - breathing hard. Pulling out a water flask, he drank deeply and then grudgingly yanked down Marian's gag and poured some water into her mouth. She could feel the cool trail all the way down her throat as she swallowed and she eagerly drank all that he gave her.

"Thank you." she said shortly, but nonetheless gratefully, between breaths.

"You should have seen his face when he read that you were going to die," Gawain said, sighing deeply and leaning back against a tree, "That man loves you. He's going to hate himself all his life because of the circumstances surrounding your disappearance. Every day is going to be a living hell for him. Every night he'll drown in excruciating regret. And I'm going to see it and laugh."

"What did he do to you?" Marian whispered, wishing that she had the strength to escape while he spoke, "What loss is worth the loss of your own life? He will find you out, and when he does you'll be killed."

"My life ended over a year ago," he breathed harshly, "What does it matter if I die? I'm going to have revenge on him if it's the last thing I do."

"But surely there is another way?" Marian insisted, her mind racing, "If you want to hurt him burn down Locksley... or steal the chest in his room; you could live like a king off of that and be spared the murder of a defenceless woman."

"No," Gawain growled, "You're going to die. Anything else can be undone; houses can be rebuilt, wealth recovered... but the loss of a life will be what will truly make him suffer."

. . . .

This is my longest chapter yet! Hope you enjoy it! :-)

Reviews?

Reviews please?


	21. Chapter 21

Wouldn't you guys hate me if I took the liberty that the screen writers did and killed Marian off? Lol!

. . .

"Gisborne," Robin shouted from the back of his borrowed horse, "Against my better judgement we've given your plan a chance. Now send those dogs back and we'll track them on foot."

"No," Guy returned, still riding as fast as possible behind the blood hounds, "This may be her only chance!"

"But they're wrecking the trail!" the frustration in Robin's voice was quickly turning to anger, "We need to find her soon and all that the dogs are doing is picking up one trail after another. If that blood at the pond really was hers she wouldn't have been doing much running now, would she? Call them back and let me do what you asked me to. Trust me!"

There was silence as Guy slowed his horse. "Very well," he conceded, glancing up at the mid-morning sun in trepidation before jerking his head at the servants who held the dog's leashes, "You realize that I'll hold you accountable if we don't reach her in time."

Robin nodded at the statement, unfair as it seemed. "You won't have to," he said with more confidence than he felt, "We are going to find her before sundown."

"We'd better." was all the response he got from Guy as they swung down off of their horses and began searching the forest floor.

. . .

"Alright," Gawain said finally as they came to a stop beneath a large tree, panting hard after their third bout of running, "Here we are."

Wondering vaguely how he could find the strength to speak after so much running, Marian sat down heavily on the ground and looked out at the forest tiredly.

After a couple of minutes he pulled her to her feet and nodded towards the tree, "Up."

Marian started inwardly as she remembered his words of Guy finding her 'blowing in the wind', but kept outwardly calm in spite of her shortness of breath as she eyed the tree before turning to him dubiously, "How high?"

As he glanced up, she grabbed the rope with her tied hands, yanked it away, and took off running with all of the strength of the will to escape that had consumed her when she realized they had reached her breezy grave.  
Unfortunately, the adrenaline flowing through her was not enough to strengthen her tired muscles for long, and before she had gone too far her foot rocked on a loose stone, her ankle turned, and she stumbled forwards; trying desperately to catch herself with her bound hands. She was up again in seconds, but her lead was shortened and a moment later she was jerked backwards as his hand grabbed a firm hold on her hair.

. . .

"She spent the night here," Robin said thoughtfully as he explored the tiny shack before crouching near the wall, "See, Gisborne? This is the rope that was either around her upper arms or her ankles."

"How do you know?" Guy asked in disdain, thinking that Robin would be much easier to deal with were it not for his know-it-all attitude.

"Well, I can't know for sure can I? But that's the only way that makes sense," came the response, complete with a dose of obvious personal dislike, "He wouldn't have unbound her hands; that would be too risky. Now, if you'd just let me work than maybe we can find her before sundown."

Guy folded his arms but didn't say anything, obviously rethinking his reasons for requesting the help of an outlaw with whom he had an ongoing personality clash to say the least.  
"It's been at least four hours since she's been here," Robin announced, stretching to his full height, "That means that we're four hours behind them and they could be traveling as we speak; I hope that you've come prepared to run, Gisborne."

"What about the horses?" raising one eyebrow, Guy looked at him questioningly.

"It's too difficult to follow a trail on horseback," Robin informed him, "Or have you forgotten how long it's taken us to find this place?"

"No," breathing deeply, Guy spoke quietly, trying to mask his irritation, "But when she came here we can assume that she was unconscious. I didn't see any signs of horses outside, so we can assume that if he removed the rope that was around her ankles he was intending to have her walk. Marian has been the Night-Watchman for a long time; she knows her way around the woods. It makes sense that she would know enough to leave some kind of trail; one that you would be able to see and follow from the back of a horse, now, doesn't it?"

Robin pursed his lips and raised one eyebrow as he nodded slowly before grinning on his way out the door, "For someone who is outwitted and fooled so easily, you have observed her well."

Clenching his hand, Guy gave a growling sigh before exiting the shack; reminding himself that Hood was his only chance to find Marian in time.

By the time he reached his horse, Robin was already swinging himself up. "You were right, Gisborne," he grinned, "Now, let's see if you're fast enough to see more than the hind end of this horse."

Thoroughly angry, as well as very concerned for Marian as the sun reached it's peak in the sky, Guy swung himself up and followed the galloping horse in front of him, cursing under his breath at everything in sight.

. . .

Marian swallowed hard and closed her eyes as Gawain finished fastening the rope to the branch. If he had not been gripping her hair still, she would have attempted to push him off balance, but resisted the urge in view of her own precarious predicament.

"By now you've probably guessed that I'm not going to hang you," he said, his voice that of a detached informant, "You see; hanging from your hands for an extended time will result in muscle fatigue and eventually suffocation - giving your husband time to track you down and find you just too late; still warm but completely dead. You understand that it is nothing personal; you can blame Gisborne for your present state."

"Please," Marian said quietly, beyond pride, "I beg you; take revenge on him some other way. At the very least take pity on your family... friends... your acquaintances! If you do this, Guy _will_ find out and when he does he will not stop at killing you; _they_ will be dead before you are cold in your grave."

"I don't care," Gawain answered, a sudden flash of pain evident in his voice, "My woman loved him and he killed her. And now you - _his_ woman - _are_ going to die, and it's not going to be an easy death. For your sake, I hope it's fast."

Marian opened her mouth to try again, but gasped instead as he pushed her off and she found herself dangling at the end of a rope - arms strained high above her head - with the next branch three feet beneath her. As she took in the pain under her shoulders and through her arms, not to mention the constriction in her chest, and tried desperately to grasp the rope with her cramped hands in order to lift herself up and bring relief, she suddenly understood what he meant when he said that it would not be an easy death.

"Please," she breathed, the word ending in a forced squeak as she watched him make his way down the tree and away from the scene - ignoring her, "Please."

. . .

By the time they had been riding for an hour, Guy had begun to see what it was that they were following; a small mark - one that she must have dragged her toe to make - appeared intermittently on the ground.  
Despite his tiredness, the discovery added to his determination to find her as fast as possible and he urged his horse on until he was neck and neck with Robin.

"Hood! How far behind them would you say we are now?" he asked loudly.

"I don't know," Robin called back, "We must be getting close."

. . .

Marian abandoned the idea of pulling herself up, and instead focused all of her power to squaring her shoulders and thereby releasing her lungs from the unbearable pressure that prevented her from breathing anything more than a shallow whisper of air.  
If she had more breath in her body she would screamed from the pain in her arms and shoulders as her feet brushed against the trunk of the tree in a last effort to find a foothold, but the desperate thirst for air that invaded all her body was the reason that she silently forced her burning wrists against the rope as she gasped for breath.

Her last strength gone, her exhausted muscles relaxed uncontrollable and her arms pushed against the side of her head as she gave up and felt the breath pushed out of her lungs by the dead weight of her body.

. . .

A few minutes later they pulled up in a small clearing. Robin dismounted and studied the ground while Guy glanced around at the trees. "The trail stops," he said in vexation, "Or rather there are no more marks from her."

"No! Please no," Guy breathed; the words sounding more like a prayer than anything he had ever uttered, "Marian!"

Robin followed his eyes to the figure hanging unresisting from the tree.

. . .

Guy's voice filtered sluggishly into her brain, and she slowly opened her eyes one last time before giving into the darkness.

. . .

Un-slinging his rope from his shoulder, Guy wasted no time in throwing it up over one of the branches and using it as a holding point as his feet pushed against the tree; bringing him slowly closer to her.

After what seemed an eternity, he finally reached her and lifted her body up, allowing her bound hands to fall in front of her. He experienced moment of sheer terror before she gasped in the air that was now available to her lungs.  
Light rushed back into her brain and she began to hyperventilate uncontrollably, each breath coming out as a sob.

"I've got you; you're safe now." was all he was able to say before tears closed his throat and he sat on the large branch, cradling her carefully and crying like he never had before.

. . .

You doubt that swinging from your hands would be that painful? Try positioning your hands for a pull up and then letting your body hang as a dead weight... you can actually feel her pain.

P.S. yeah, I'd hate myself if I killed off Marian... darn series might have been epic if it hadn't been for her untimely departure.


	22. Chapter 22

Well, NaNo has started, and I decided to finish this story as my first couple of days, so I've got a little extra here. :-)

. . . .

Robin ran slowly along, bent nearly double as he studied the ground carefully. Whoever had left Marian in the tree had been adept at covering his tracks and a lesser tracker would not have been able to pick up the trail, let alone follow it.  
Although his first impulse was the wait and make sure that Marian was alright, his desire to find the person who had kidnapped her outweighed it. Knowing that Guy would take care of her - something he almost hated to acknowledge even to himself - he had set out as soon as it had been established that she was alive.  
As thoughts and feelings about Marian and her new position as the Lady of Locksley chased each other rapidly through his mind, Robin paused for a moment stood up; allowing himself to draw a full breath before continuing on his chase.

. . .

When the forcefulness of his relief had spent itself and he had finally gotten her out of the tree, Guy brushed a few sticks aside and then eased her to the ground, a pang of dismay but not surprise shooting through him as he noted the unusual position of her arms. Knowing that the faster he relocated her shoulders the faster they would heal, he removed his gloves and brushed her cheek gently.

"Your shoulders are out of joint," he said with more tenderness in his voice than he expected, "Try and relax; I'm going to fix them before they start to heal wrong."

Marian gave a shuddering sigh as she allowed her wearied body to relax. Holding her with the firm grip of practiced confidence, Guy rotated first one arm and then the other until they slid back into place. A small groan was all the indication that she felt anything; truth be told, her body was completely exhausted and the small flashes of pain were not enough to rouse her from her need for sleep.

"There," he said in relief, gathering her up in his arms and carrying her to his horse, "I'll take you home with me."

. . .

_Her arms and hands burned as she twisted in the air, frantic to get a foothold before her air ran out. Gawain sat on the branch in full view, watching her solemnly while Guy walked below, searching for her. The desire to give in to the pain was nothing to the need to get his attention; to be with him, safe, once again. With a super-human effort, she forced air into her aching lungs and screamed... _

Jerking awake, Marian opened her eyes and rolled over to see Guy's face and hear his voice asking what was wrong. Certain that she was still dreaming, she blinked a few times and then just lay looking over at him in confusion.

"What are you doing here?" her voice was scratchy with sleep, but the effort of speaking woke her up more and she glanced around the room quickly, "Where am I?"

"Home," Guy answered quietly, "You're at home with me."

"Oh," she blinked again, a tired smile touched her lips, "Really?"

When her look of confusion was replaced with reassurance, a mirroring smile appeared on his face, "Yes; you slept the whole way back and it is now almost midnight. But you cried out, are you alright?"

"I was dreaming," she said, stretching and then wincing slightly at the soreness in her shoulders, "And, aside from the after-effects of spending the afternoon swinging from a rope in a tree, I feel fine."

"Marian," he sighed and looked away for a moment, "If I could take back what I said... what made you leave... I was wrong to accuse you; I apologize."

"It was my own fault," Marian responded, lowering her gaze, "I should not have assumed that you knew I was in the forest. It just never occurred to me that I would have to tell you."

"There is something that did not occur to me as well," Guy drew in his breath, "Something I had forgotten. A little before our aborted wedding ceremony you came here and asked me if I gone to the Holy Land and tried to kill the king; I told you that I had not. do you remember?"

Nodding, she studied his face in the light of the single candle that he had lit when she had woke up.

"It was a lie," avoiding her eyes, he rolled onto his back and looked up at the ceiling, "I did try to kill the king, and I fought and almost killed Hood in my attempt. You told me that if it were true you could not marry me. I... I apologize for lying to you; it was wrong. Can you forgive me?"

Pondering what he said, Marian rolled on to her back and studied the boards above them as well.

"Yes," she said finally, "I can forgive you."

"Since we are speaking about this, there is something else I would like to get clear," Guy told her, sitting up and motioning for her to look him in the eyes, "I know that there will be times that we disagree, but I would have us always speak the truth to each other. I'm tired of deception and lies; I'm around them constantly at the castle, and I wish to not have to be on guard against them here. I'm not saying that you have to tell me everything - I'd be honored if you did of course - but that if I ask you something, you would answer me honestly and I would do the same for you."

"Very well," Marian nodded, "You have my word."

"And that is another thing," he said dryly, "In the past you have obeyed the words of your promise, but not the spirit. If you don't want to promise, than tell me, but do not give me your word and then do whatever you wish."

"I agree on two conditions," she answered solemnly, "That you explain why you wish for my word, and that you not ask for my promise unless it is a matter of extreme importance to you."

"Agreed," he answered, "Is there anything else we should discuss while we are on this subject?"

"Only one for the moment," she hesitated before speaking as she searched for the words, "That when I tell you the truth you would not give in to your initial reaction, but that you would ask me questions to clarify if need be and believe my answer."

"Old habits are difficult to break," he sighed, "And I am not used to listening to excuses or explanations, but I give you my word that I will do my best."

The bed creaked as he lay back down, and Marian suddenly chuckled softly at herself as she realized that it had not fazed her a bit to wake up next to him in his bed.

"Care to let me in on the joke?" he asked, fighting his first impulse to be angry as she seemed to laugh at his reassurance.

"Simply that I have gotten used to the idea of sharing your bed rather quickly," the words came out before she realized what it sounded like, her face growing uncomfortably warm as she did, "That is..."

"I'm impressed." he said softly.

"At?" she asked, knowing that she was blushing and hoping that he couldn't tell.

"You told me the truth without hesitating," his voice sounded as if he were marveling at the fact, "Even for a moment."

Marian pondered that as he blew out the candle and shyly snuggled a little closer to him. Taking the hint, he drew her close and held her quietly as the dark closed in around them. Sighing with more happiness than she had felt in a long time, Marian enjoyed the feeling of his nightshirt under her cheek as she drifted back into a dreamless sleep.

. . .

"Gawain?" Robin asked in surprise as he walked slowly into the light of the campfire.

"Robin!" came the relieved answer, "I was afraid it might be someone else."

"Looks like you've had a long day," Robin observed, watching the other man carefully, "May I join you?"

"Please do," Gawain grunted as he leaned back against a tree and looked at the fire, "So, what brings you out here this time of night?"

"I might ask you the same thing," Robin responded, crouching down but not relaxing, "Especially since I followed your trail all the way from a tree containing the body of my former betrothed; Lady Marian."

Gawain started and got quickly to his feet, a shadow passing over his face, "It was the only way, Robin, the only way he would be able to understand the pain that he gives to others. The pain he gave to me."

"Gisborne has many accounts to settle," Robin agreed, "But why Marian, Gawain? Why choose her to punish him? Couldn't you find another way?"

"There was no other way," he insisted, "It was the only way he would know... the only way he would be sorry for what he did to my Annie!"

"Wait a moment," Robin said, the pieces falling into place in his mind, "I remember now! You and Annie were betrothed before she went to work at the castle, weren't you?"

"And then she met Gisborne," Gawain gritted his teeth, "She gave everything to him; thought she loved him. Even bore his son. Nothing I could say changed her mind. Even when I made it look as though Gisborne had left the baby to die in the woods he covered it up and she never knew. And then, when she finally discovered his true character, she went and threatened him and got herself killed in return."

"What?" Robin exclaimed, "No, you're wrong; she's alive... she works for Lady Glasson. Her and Seth - the baby - they both live there."

"What?" Gawain sat down heavily, his face paling, "You're joking! She's alive?"

"Yes," Robin said quietly, "But you can't join her now. You have to face up to Gisborne first."

"Since when are you on the same side as Gisborne?" he asked with a slight sneer that changed quickly to pleading, "Look, Robin, you have to bring me to Annie! Please! I'll do anything, just give me a chance to talk to her."

"Very well," came the answer after a moment, "I will give you a chance to speak with her. But first... you must take responsibility for your actions against Marian."

"Look," Gawain suddenly became very humble, "I'm sorry. I know it was wrong; but I had no choice!"

"Everything is a choice," Robin told him forcefully, "Everything we do!"

"You don't understand," Gawain said with a tinge of sulkiness in his voice, "No one does."

"So tell me," Robin invited, sitting down across from the other man, "What don't I understand?"

"When I was no more than fourteen," Gawain began slowly, "My mother was killed offhand when she couldn't pay the tax collector and tried to snitch money from his bag to pay him with. I saw it happen. For over a year I followed the man and plotted my revenge, and finally, one night, I had my chance. He was staying at an inn, so I made sure of the bed he was staying in, went in after everyone was asleep and killed him quietly. But he was too slippery; he had changed beds and I killed the wrong man. The tax collector knew it and threatened to tell everyone and have me executed unless I gave my word to do whatever he wanted. For years I never heard from him, and then, right before Gisborne brought Lady Marian home, I received word from him threatening execution unless I killed Gisborn's wife. I was angry and wanted revenge on Gisborne anyway, so I agreed. If I had known that Annie was still alive... But the Sheriff is not a man who is easily put off."

"The Sheriff told you to kill Marian?" a hint of surprise tinted the edge of Robin's voice, "I'm surprised you've lived to talk about it."

"Well," Gawain hesitated, "I was to go and tell him how it went tomorrow. But please, Robin, take me to Annie! I don't want to die, and I didn't really want to kill Lady Marian; the threat of death is a strong motivator."

"Alright," Robin agreed, "If you will send a message to the Sheriff saying that the job is done, then I bring something of yours to Thornton and tell him that you are dead and bring you to Annie... After that, we'll see how it works out."

. . . .

You know, today I'm just having a terrible time hearing their voices in my head as I write... I think I need to watch more episodes...


	23. Chapter 23

Okey dokey! Next chapter is up! This is officially the longest fan fic I have EVER written (the one that got deleted in the spring was about 21 chapters). Horray, I'm so excited! :-)

. . . .

"What?" Guy asked, folding his arms and giving Robin a dark look, "You caught him and then just let him go?"

"Robin," Marian said quickly, putting a restraining hand on Guy's arm, "It is one thing to pardon those who steal food or are too poor to pay their taxes; but that man tried to kill me. I don't support hanging, but I don't like the idea that I have an enemy who tried to kill me wandering the streets of Nottingham."

"He's not wandering the streets; he's in the castle," Robin informed them gravely, half sitting on the table with his hands spread out in back of him as he faced them, "The Sheriff was the one who made Gawain make an attempt on your life. Now, with the evidence that you and Gawain are both dead, the Sheriff will stop trying to kill you and leave you both alone."

"Where is Gawain now?" Guy inquired.

"With Annie," Robin said, glancing at Marian, "He was the one who left Seth out in the woods – trying to make Annie dislike Gisborne."

"And you brought him to her?" Marian asked in disbelief, "After he did that?"

"He told her and asked for forgiveness almost as soon as he saw her," Robin answered, "She decided to give him another chance. Now, Gisborne, you're going to go back to the castle and act as though Marian were really dead. Until we can figure out a way to keep her safe, that's the only way to keep the Sheriff from making another attempt at her life."

Guy did not respond as Robin nodded to them and then sauntered out of the house.

"Well," Marian said after a few moments of silence, "Shall we finish our breakfast before you leave?"

"I don't like taking orders from Hood," Guy said as they sat down, a trace of sulkiness in his voice, "He's always been rather high-handed and the way he took it upon himself to pardon Gawain shows that he hasn't changed much."

"Well," she responded, handing him a piece of bread, "I can't say that I like the idea of having the man who tried to kill me spending time with Annie and Seth, but if what Robin says is true - and it usually is - Gawain is not the one I have to worry about."

She jumped as Guy slammed his hand onto the table with unexpected vehemence. "If only you knew how hard it is to be torn between a man who I respect and who raised me to power, and the woman that I love who he probably tried to kill!" he exclaimed forcefully, "I will do whatever it takes to protect you, Marian, but I will always admire the Sheriff's single-minded pursuit of what he wants."

"What exactly is it that ties you to the Sheriff?" Marian asked curiously, watching him carefully, "I know that you admire him, but what keeps you with him when he abuses you the way he does?"

"The Sheriff raised me to power," Guy repeated, as if she should already know, "And he has promised that when Prince John is king of England, he will request to have Locksley renamed for as Gisborne - even as the Gisborne lands were renamed and included in the Locksley estate many years ago - and have it given to me and my descendants as an inheritance."

"And it is really worth everything that you put up with from the Sheriff to have the land in your name again?" Marian stated more than asked the question in a thoughtful voice.

"Do you have any idea how humiliating it is that I am technically 'Sir Guy of Locksley' right now?" Guy asked, with a growl to his voice that was not directed at her, "I would put up with more than the Sheriff even to have only the original Gisborne lands."

. . .

"Ah, Gisborne," the Sheriff greeted him cheerfully, "I heard about your leper, pity. She always gave you something to sulk about. Now; I hope that you've attended her funeral, because we have a little journey planned."

"What kind of journey?" Guy asked suspiciously.

"A visit to the Holy Land, in fact. Prince John has a little mission for us, and when we return," he tapped Guy's arm with two fingers, "He will reward us. You, with the Gisborne name on your estate - as well as an extra acre or two as a little bonus. And me, by naming me the general of his army. Well then, what do you say? Get ready, have your boy get your things - bring him along if you'd like, but don't tell him where we're going... loyalties get a bit shaky when a monarch's life is at stake."

"Very well," Guy sighed, going in search of the former outlaw, "Allan!"

. . .

"Wait, what do you want me to tell Marian?" Allan hissed, never good at keeping his voice down, "You know she's going to be asking questions."

"Tell her that I'll explain everything when I come back," Guy instructed, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully, "And Allan, tell her not to let anyone see her; she's supposed to be dead."

"Right." he nodded, "But you know Marian; she's not gonna want to be stuck inside."

"Then tell her to only go out dressed as someone else," Guy was really glaring at him now, "Marian will figure something out; she can take care of herself."

. . .

"But where are they going?" Marian asked impatiently, "You must have some idea!"

"I heard something about Portsmith," Allan told her seriously, "That's all I know. Now will you do what he says and stay out of sight?"

"You know what this means," Marian exclaimed, "The king! They must be expecting the king to land in Portsmith."

"It could mean anything for all I know." Allan wished that she would stop being intense; the girl seriously needed to lighten up.

"That's not good enough, Allan!" Marian insisted, "What if it is the king? You know full well what they'll do to him when he arrives!"

"Well it's not my call, is it?" he was beginning to get annoyed, "And besides, if you can't trust Guy, what did you marry him for? No, don't answer that; I don't want to know."

"It's not that I don't trust him..." she felt a warm flush come over her face as she searched for the words, "It's just that we disagree... on politics."

"Well, maybe so," Allan agreed, "But I can't see Guy killing the king, forget about the black knights and all of that. He had a chance before, and he didn't go through with it. You remember what Robin said, don't you? Guy stabbed him and left him for dead. Robin was the king's guard; with him down there'd be no one to stop Guy from killing Richard in an instant. And anyways, you know what Guy really wants? A home. That's why he's stayed with the Sheriff all these years; he'd promised him a home. And now he's got it - with you. Think whatever you like, but now that he has you to come home to... you to love, I don't think that all of the dirty work of killing a king is going to appeal to him much anymore."

. . .

"Please, Robin," Marian pleaded, "I know that we disagree about Guy, but surely we agree that the king must be saved?"

"The king's life is not the question," Robin exclaimed, "The fact that you - the wife of a man on the opposite side - are asking to accompany me and my gang to the Holy Land is what we are discussing. And I don't like the idea."

"Why not?" Marian wished that she was the born wheedler he was, "Look, with me along, you have a much better chance of persuading Guy not to kill the king."

"I don't want to persuade him," Robin gave a short, mirthless laugh, "I want to protect the king. And if Gisborne gets in the way; I'll kill him."

"Which is why you should bring me along," she insisted, "To avoid having another man's blood on your conscience."

Robin sighed and dropped his head. "Very well," he agreed, looking up thoughtfully, "But if Gisborne is angry with you, don't blame me."

. . .

Guy shifted uncomfortably in the darkened room as the Sheriff handed the other black knight a package. This visit back to the Holy Land was more unpleasant than he had anticipated, and the knowledge of how upset Marian would be when she learned about their mission was a bigger drawback than he expected.

"Sala-hadin's royal seal," the man looked impressed, "Where did you get this?"

"Ah," the Sheriff glanced at Guy with a grin on his face, "Sala-hadin's old messenger."

"But there is also a password?"

"Ah yes," he looked as though he savored the memory, "Very difficult getting that. Like pulling teeth... it WAS pulling teeth!"

"When we get in, I kill him?" the large man asked with relish.

Guy looked away under the guise of listening for any passersbye at the door.

"No no no," Vaizey shook his head, "You won't get to within a thousand yards of the king's tent." turning to the man who held the royal seal, he smiled unpleasantly, "I want you to lure him out."

"How?" the man was dubious.

"By telling him what he wants to hear; peace." he shook his head, "Nothing can stop us now."

. . .

Guy lay in bed, unable to sleep. He was tired of deceit. If they were to kill the king he would rather do it openly and in a fair fight. The feeling that he was slipping into a black hole that he would not be able to escape was stronger than ever, and he longed for Marian's warmth beside him.  
The break that he had from the Sheriff during the few short days after his marriage to Marian had made him feel that he was beginning to be able to breathe again. The return to the castle had been strange; he no longer felt at home there, and every minute spent with the Sheriff increased the feeling of being slimed in his soul. He no longer felt that simply being with Marian was enough to cleanse him. A desperate need to be free of the Sheriff, of Prince John, of what he had become had been growing quietly in his heart until it was now impossible to ignore it anymore. He was torn between his admiration of the Sheriff's single-minded pursuit of whatever he wanted, and his slowly intensifying repulsion at his methods and personal dislike of the man himself.  
Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep, but all he could see was Marian's face; hopeful, believing that he was a good man.

. . . .

Alrighty now... On to the next chapter! :-)


	24. Chapter 24

Well, I considered breaking this up into two chapters and making you wait for the 2nd one... but I just HAD to put it all in here! So this is officially my longest chapter EVER! Yay!

. . . .

Marian stayed close to John as they moved stealthily through the dark streets of Acre, following Djaq's lead as they traveled towards the house of Bassam, the pigeon handler. The sound of their breathing seemed to her almost loud enough to drown out the muted voices of the war-torn city. Djaq moved quickly across a street and peered down the next one before nodding to the others to join her. A moment later the sound of hooves was heard and Djaq held up her hand to stop Robin and Much - the only two left on the other side. Marian held her breath as the two soldiers passed by, laughing and chatting in their unintelligible language.

Across the street, Much waited until the horses passed before pulling down the scarf around his mouth and looking at Robin. "Can I ask you something?" he whispered questioningly, "Being back here - in the Holy Land - do you feel funny as I feel funny? We'll meet the enemy again... if these people knew that we're English, they'd kill us."

"They don't know," Robin answered sensibly, his voice even quieter than Much's, "And we're not here to battle them; we're here to save the king."

"Robin!" Djaq hissed, motioning to them to hurry.

A grunt of displeasure came from Will around the corner, and when they reached the sound they saw him, John, and Marian being searched by Saracens. Robin grinned slightly; this was what he was good at. Gripping the top of an arch, he pulled himself up and then dropped silently into the middle of them and smashed their heads together; effectively disabling them for the time being.

"Three more, this way!" Djaq cried out, running towards them.

Quickly flattening themselves against the wall, the outlaws waited until Djaq ran past before jumping forward and knocking out the soldiers that were chasing her.

Laughing quietly, Robin turned towards Djaq, "Bassam's house?"

"This way!" she exclaimed, hurrying forwards.

. . .

After supper at Bassam's house, Marian watched as Djaq and Will lingered near the birds, speaking quietly. She smiled at the way they acted together; peaceful, loving, and very happy. After a moment her attention turned back to the table as Robin spoke in the language of their host.

"You speak our language?" Bassam looked amused and pleased.

"You speak ours," Robin answered, "It seems only fair." his face grew solemn, "I need to find our king."

"Why should I help you?"

The question was not hostile, but Marian raised an eyebrow when she saw that Robin was surprised by it.

"Because his life is in danger." he said, as though that were all the information needed to convince the man to help save an enemy.

"You want to save him so that he can continue waging war against our people?" the older man leaned forwards as he spoke.

"No," Robin shook his head, looking at the table before raising his eyes to Bassam's politely disbelieving face, "I want to take him home and make peace so he can save his own people from some very unpleasant men."

"Robin is a man of peace," Djaq put in, sitting down at the table, "Trust him."

"Please." Robin said quietly.

"His camp is to the North," Bassam informed them, making up his mind, "I will show you - in the morning."

"Thank you." nodding, Robin glanced up to see a servant girl wearing a pink head scarf watching them intently. He smiled slightly and then transferred his attention back to those around the table; not noticing when she left.

. . .

"Robin Hood?" Guy exclaimed in disbelief, "Not possible."

"He is here in Acre with his men," the black knight assured them, interpreting the servant girl's words, "Searching for the king."

"Not a problem." the Sheriff shook his head confidently.

"How so?" eyes narrowing, Guy regarded the Sheriff curiously.

"They're still looking for the king so they haven't found him yet." The Sheriff grinned slightly, "We're going to add a little something extra to Sala-Hadin's message to the king. We're going to get king Richard to kill Robin Hood."

Allan swallowed hard, a cold feeling gripping his heart as a sudden urge to escape the Sheriff and Gisborne and re-join - and warn - Robin sprang up in him.

. . .

Marian yawned and stretched, opening her eyes as the first light of morning peeped in at the window. Turning over she saw Djaq on a cot not far off, and the memory of where they were caused her to sit up. The two women were alone in the room - she assumed that the men were in the room across the hall - and she wondered what it was that had woken her up. Then she heard it again; voices. Very familiar voices, in fact, belonging to Robin and Allan. Their voices were muffled, but she could just make out the words.

"Look, I'm not being funny, but even if you really don't trust me don't you think that it might be a good idea to change your plan anyways? Always better to err on the side of caution - isn't that how the saying goes?"

"There is nothing that the Sheriff could say to King Richard that would make him distrust me," Robin's voice, quiet but intense, answered quickly, "I saved his life more than once."

"Yeah, I know that," Allan's voice was so full of exasperation that Marian could almost see the expression he was making when she heard it, "And I don't know what it is that they're gonna tell the king, but I do know that the Sheriff is sure that it'll work. And I wouldn't exactly describe him as an incurable optimist if you get my drift."

"We're going along with our original plan," Robin insisted shortly, "And just in case, we're bringing along insurance; you."

"Oh hey, wait a moment will ya?" Allan's tone was decidedly discomfited, "Look; I'm really not that valuable to Gisborne, and I'm less than dirt to the Sheriff. I want to rejoin the gang, Robin, you know that - I've said it enough - but I don't want to be a pawn anymore. I'm sick of being used."

"Well," Robin responded, "If this goes well we'll see about having you rejoin the gang. But for now, you're coming with us and you're going to tell us everything you know about the Sheriff's plan."

Marian sighed and got to her feet; no use in trying to sleep with their voices prodding her curiosity - something that she sometimes thought of as her worst fault - into wakefulness.

"What's wrong?" Djaq's drowsy voice asked.

"Nothing," Marian whispered, "Robin's up and I'm going to go say good morning."

"Oh." the other woman rolled over and closed her eyes, "Tell him to save the rest of us some breakfast."

. . .

Later that day, the outlaws followed Bassam through the desert until the reached the edge of a cliff.

"There," the old man said, gesturing to the valley below, "Your king's camp."

"Shakram, Bassam!" Robin said sincerely, shaking the man's hand earnestly before turning towards the trail downwards.

"Does he understand flight, the pale one?" Bassam asked quietly, turning to Djaq with a look of fondness.

"Who?" Djaq inquired with a smile on her face before nodding, "Yes, I think he does."

The old man nodded, "You have my blessing."

Will smiled broadly as Djaq's face brightened with happiness and she hugged the old man that she obviously thought of as a father.

. . .

Marian swallowed as they walked through the tents of the king's camp, wishing that she possessed the natural swagger and confidence that Robin always exuded. Something about the whole thing made her apprehensive, and the fact that Robin had refused to explain why Allan had returned heightened the feeling. She was momentarily distracted when Carter hurried up to greet Robin; she was glad to see him - glad to see anyone familiar at this point.

As Robin motioned for them to stay behind while him and Much approached the king, she suddenly became away of all of the glances that were bestowed upon the two women but especially on her. Apparently it had been a while since these men had seen an English woman, and, while not strictly dangerous, it increased her nervousness and she folded her arms across her chest.

"Men of war," Djaq observed quietly, glancing at her, "They're all the same; starved for the sight of a female. I am glad that we are not alone here; I do not like this place."

Marian was surprised by the admission; Djaq was not one given to timidity. But she was right - something was not right here.

. . .

"What exactly did you tell the king to change his mind about Hood?" Guy asked curiously as the other two men waited for the Sheriff to arrive.

"I told him that Sala-Hadin sent him a gift - that there was a man recruited by the Black Knights because of Richard's trust in him... that the man would arrive and claim that there was great danger and offer to protect him," the man paused and then continued with a grin, "Also that he would be traveling with a Saracen woman."

"Ah," the Sheriff entered the room with a very unpleasant smile on his face, "Happiness?"

The man nodded, an answering smile spreading over his features, "Happiness."

"He'll attend the meeting?"

"Mmhmm." he nodded.

"And um, watch watch out throw it about."

Both men smiled while Guy rolled his eyes. "Ooooh," the Sheriff spread his arms open, laughing, "Come to daddy, eh?"

"So," the Sheriff continued after their enthusiastic hug, "Karin, dear boy, you know what to do."

"What if king Richard knows what Prince Sala-Hadin looks like?" the dark skinned man inquired.

"Well, no matter, you're not stopping for a chat, are you?" the Sheriff looked surprised that he would even ask such a question. A moment later he motioned towards the door, indicating that it was time for the men to leave.

Robin sighed heavily as he allowed his arms to be tied to the poles that stood in the desert; for no apparent reason the king had taken one look at his gang and ordered all of them to be executed. However, he had changed his mind and said that they would let the desert decide - but there was little doubt what the outcome would be.

"This is the same as execution." Will said quietly, looking at the king as he stood regarding them.

"Yes," the king agreed seriously, "But if God wills it, there is always a chance. I'll not remember you this way, Robin," turning to him, "I'll remember you as the hero who once saved my life."

"And I'll remember you as the king who spent too long at war," Robin replied evenly, "It's clouded your judgement; you've forgotten your people back home."

"You're right; it is time to stop this fighting," the king was obviously not pleased with Robin's attitude, "I'm meeting Sala-Hadin today. I will make peace with him, and then I will go home to England."

"Good," Robin said, "At least my friends and I will have achieved something."

"Goodbye." Richard said somberly as he turned and walked towards his horse.

Carter looked at them all soberly one last time before following his king as he rode away.

Within five minutes Marian was longing for shade from the brutal heat of the sun.

"How long?" Will asked over on her left.

"In this heat, without water..." Djaq's voice trailed off despondently somewhere behind her.

"I'm sorry, my love," Will said quietly, wishing he could see her, "I should have made you stay with Bassam."

"I would _never_," Djaq paused to draw in a shaky breath, "Leave you, Will Scarlet."

"If we can just get through to nightfall, then, you know..." Much sounded slightly panicked.

"What?" John felt rather irritated.

"It'll be cooler!"

"Cooler." Allan said sarcastically, "It'll be freezing!"

"I know!" Much exclaimed, "But it won't be hot... this heat..."

"Much," Djaq's voice was tired, "We do not have till nightfall."

"Robin," Marian spoke up shyly, wishing that the others were not within earshot, "I'm sorry..."

"For marrying my enemy?" Robin interrupted, spitting out the words quietly, "For giving up and going over to the other side? For changing your affections to the current lord of Locksley instead of the rightful one?"

"No," taking a moment to quiet her temper, Marian gritted her teeth, "For holding a grudge that you left me for the Holy Land, for being unkind when you returned, and for not being honest when my feelings for you changed from love to friendship. It was not fair, and I apologize."

"I was wrong to leave you," Robin's voice changed from anger to regret, "I didn't know how wrong until I returned and saw what it had done to you. And Marian... for what it's worth, I wish that you had a chance to enjoy your life - whether it included Gisborne or not."

Marian smiled slightly in spite of the glaring sun.

"Look, lads," Allan said after a few minutes of silence, "If I could take back what I did in betraying all of you, I would. I'm sorry."

"And I should have listened to you this morning," Robin replied regretfully, "If I had we wouldn't be in this position right now."

A bead of sweat rolled down Marian's face and dripped off of her chin. Minutes seemed like hours as they passed.

. . .

"This heat!" Much complained, his voice weaker than normal, "It's insufferable."

"Just remember that," Djaq swallowed dryly, "Next winter when you're complaining about the cold."

"Never," the former servant replied adamantly, "If we get out of this I will never complain about the cold again."

As time went by Marian could almost feel her grasp of reality slipping. She wondered vaguely how Guy would feel when he arrived back in England and found that she was not there waiting for him. The reflection of the sun on the sand made her eyes ache and she closed them tiredly, feeling as though she were in an oven. The blasting heat was the same as the blacksmith's forge from when she was a little girl, and she seemed to be there, looking into the fire as long as she could stand before jumping away and putting her hands to her face to feel the heat. But when she moved her hands towards her face they did little more than swing the rope that restrained them.

"You know I love you all," Much's voice spoke softly, "John, Djaq, Will... even you, Allan. Robin; when I was serving the king I was serving you." his voice shook as he spoke.

"Much," Marian forced her dry lips to form the words as his voice dragged her back to the grim reality, "Don't cry."

"He's not crying," a strong voice spoke confidently, "He's laughing on the wrong side of his face."

"Carter!" they all spoke at once, incredible relief clear in their tones as their rescuer dismounted from his horse and approached them.

"I thought you'd left us!" Robin exclaimed as Carter proceeded to cut them all loose starting with John.

"Sorry," Carter said, "Out here you can lose your head."

"I thought I didn't like you!" Much exclaimed, as laughter forced itself through his dry throat.

"I know."

"Well," he continued, stumbling as his weary legs refused to hold him as his bonds were cut, "I do now!"

As soon as his hands were free, Robin turned to Marian and cut her free, embracing her in relief. After a moment he stepped back and a brief look of awkwardness crossed his features before he turned to pay attention to what Carter was saying.

"We have horses, we have weapons." the blond man informed the leader of the outlaws.

"And we have a king to rescue," Robin said, urgency creeping into his face, "Everything I told his majesty in the tent was true; this meeting is a trap."

Carter nodded as he passed around the flask of water that he had brought. When her turn came, Marian felt her entire body respond to the stream of cool water that took away the horrible ache of dryness.

"Come on!" Robin urged, mounting his horse, "We haven't much time!"

. . .

Marian watched apprehensively from the top of the ravine as the rider spurred his horse towards the lone figure that stood awaiting his approach. She glanced over at the king and saw that he too was riveted to the scene. With Carter on their side, it had not been difficult to convince him to give them the benefit of the doubt and allow them to do an experiment.

As the supposed prince dismounted and walked towards Robin, Marian glanced up and was shocked to see Guy, the Sheriff, and two other men - one wearing the uniform of the king's guard - on the other side of the ravine, watching the spectacle even as she was. She ducked her head, not wanting Guy to find out this way that she had gone against his wishes, or the Sheriff to find out that she was still alive.

The clash of swords drew her attention back towards the ground and she gripped the edge of the small cliff tightly as she saw the now unmasked Robin Hood battling the assassin who had been dressed as prince Sala-Hadin.

"Now do you believe us?" Much asked the king with a bit of an I-told-you-so sound to his voice.

"I betrayed your loyalty," King Richard said heavily, "How can I repay you?"

"He needs us," Marian interrupted as Much started to reply to the king's question, "Robin's in trouble!"

The group jumped to their feet and raced to their horses, climbing quickly aboard and galloping down the hill towards Robin, sending the assassin - as well as the others - to their horses.

"Robin!" the king said as they came up, "Forgive me!"

"I already have!" Robin told him as he swung himself up onto his horse and began the chase, "Let's finish this now! After them!"

Marian was last in line as they followed the five riders into the streets of a war torn city. As soon as they entered, Much fell backwards off his horse just as a dart flew past his head - saving him in the nick of time.

"This is a trap," Robin exclaimed, stating the obvious as they all quickly dismounted and took cover behind various objects, "Are you alright?"

An affirmative sound came from Much's direction as he crawled to safety. Robin looked around, and suddenly realized something that made his heart stand still.

"Where's the king?" he shouted.

"He went after the Sheriff!" Much informed him.

"We need to get him out of here NOW!"

Marian got to her feet and ran in the direction the king had taken, not stopping to think what she would do if she found him.

. . .

Guy turned with a jerk as an arrow from the Sheriff's bow embedded itself into the back of the king and the leader of England who had been absent too long began to fall off of his horse as it took him away from the Sheriff's hiding spot. For some reason it bothered him that a man that they had worked so hard against should be so easily defeated - it had never really sunk in that they were not only fighting a style of leadership, but also a man.

As Richard tumbled to the ground and lay there unable to move without intense pain, Guy walked towards him slowly, knowing his duty. Finally standing over him, he raised his sword as he prepared to drive it home.

. . .

Marian's feet brought her swiftly to the entrance to the courtyard where the king lay, and she drew in a quick breath when she saw Guy - his back towards her - as he stood over the fallen man with a drawn sword.

"Guy!" she shouted, "Stop."

"Well well well," the Sheriff's voice spoke as a hand on her arm jerked her to a stop, "If it isn't our leper friend! I'm a little surprised to see you, missy, but then, it might be because you were supposed to be _dead_! Don't distract Gisborne; he is about to get everything he has ever wanted."

She turned to face him confidently, "That's a lie. Guy is a good man; he will do what's right - not what benefits him."

Guy's attention was broken and the uncertainty that had been haunting him returned in greater force as he lowered his sword and circled the king, pausing at his back where he could see his mentor and his wife.

"Oh my my," Vaisey taunted, "What a high opinion you have of your husband. All he has ever done is what benefits him; and if you think that he's going to change just because he was foolish enough to marry you, you're wrong. Hurry up, Gisborne!"

"NO!" Marian exclaimed, trying to free her arm but not being able to concentrate on it.

Guy turned back to the king and swallowed hard. Raising his sword once again, he hesitated for what seemed like an eternity.

Marian finally succeeded in freeing her arm and started towards him again.

"Oh no you don't!" the Sheriff drew out a long dagger, jumped in front of her. Marian ducked, but the Sheriff was too fast as he plunged the knife into her chest.

"NO! MARIAN!" Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as Guy jumped over the king and reached the Sheriff in an instant; seeing nothing but the crimson stain that spread slowly over the whiteness of Marian's clothes. A sound that could only be described as the raging battle cry of a suddenly bereaved heart tore out of Guy's throat as he swung his sword with all of the strength of the pain that pumped through his body. A moment later Vaisey's head rolled on the ground and Guy was kneeling beside Marian's prone body as heavy sobs wracked his body.

. . . .

Don't worry, folks, this is not the last chapter... ;-)


	25. Chapter 25

I just couldn't leave Marian like that... Here's the next chapter!

. . . .

Robin watched in astonishment as the three men who had accompanied the Sheriff and Guy tried to flee the scene, not even stopping to fight when John swung a sword in their direction. Something had changed; somehow they had been defeated. Motioning to the others Robin followed and killed them quickly before he began to make his way towards the spot that the king had disappeared.

. . .

"The king!" Marian exclaimed frantically, looking up into Guy's face in horror, "Where's the king?"

"He's alive," Guy reassured her - his sobs subsiding when he was reassured that she was alive - as his hands moved desperately over her shoulders and skirted the edge of the knife; not sure what to do but vaguely glad that he had not taken the time to run the monarch through, "You were right; I couldn't kill him."

A look of triumph flashed through the pain that overwhelmed her features. "I knew it," she gasped, raising a shaking hand to briefly touch his face, "I knew you would do what was right. Gah! Can we get this out of me? It hurts!"

"No," Guy said, grabbing her hands as they moved towards the blade, "Just wait for the Saracen woman. Removing the blade is the wrong thing to do; that's what I would do if I wanted to kill someone."

"Very well," Marian said shakily, "Talk to me."

"What do you want me to say?" looking rather uncertain, Guy gripped her hands tightly.

"Anything!" she pleaded forcefully, "Just say anything!"

"You _are_ going to live!" he told her confidently, tasting the saltiness of tears on his lips, "And we are going to bring the king back to England. Everything is going to be the way you wanted it. We are going to have children and you are going to play with them in the fields at Locksley, and I am going to teach them to swim in the pond."

"I am proud of you," she interrupted, eyes flashing in her white face, "You are a better man that even I thought you could be."

"And we _will_ be together for the rest of our lives," he said quietly, the agitation in his voice subsiding slightly as he spoke the words, "And we are going to love each other forever."

"MARIAN!" Robin's voice screamed out as the outlaws entered the courtyard, "I'm going to kill you, Gisborne!"

"No!" Marian exclaimed with as much force as she could.

"Shh," Guy squeezed her hand again, not even looking up, "Lie still; don't worry about him... or me."

"ROBIN!" Djaq yelled, "Stop! Now!"

It took a moment for her words to seep through the hatred that consumed him as he saw Guy kneeling over Marian's fallen body with his hands next to the knife that was stuck through her, but he slowed to a stop before he reached the couple.

"Djaq," Marian said urgently, "Djaq can fix it."

Djaq ran up and fell to her knees beside the other woman, assessing the situation quickly, "Robin! Find Carter."

"Can we get this out of me?" Marian begged, reaching for the handle of the knife once again.

"No," Djaq exclaimed, "That would cause you to bleed out. Just wait until Robin returns."

"I can't," Marian breathed, "It hurts."

"Isn't there anything you can do for her?" Guy begged, desperate to relieve her pain.

"Yes," Djaq told him quietly, "Do you remember when Carter brought Robin to you, apparently dead, and then Robin walked out alive? Before Carter left I gave him some of the mixture that I used on Robin. If he has it I will give it to Marian and her body will slow until she appears to be dead. Fortunately, it seems that Marian moved just enough for the knife to go above her heart and lungs into her shoulder. If none of the major organs are damaged; this mixture will give me the opportunity to remove the knife and repair her without her feeling it or bleeding out. She has a chance of surviving if I can do it soon."

Marian looked up at Guy, feeling more fear seeping through her than she ever had before. Even when, almost a year ago, she had been stabbed, for a long while she had the utmost confidence that Djaq would repair her. Even when she guessed that she might not survive, she had not been as afraid because there was nothing in her life that she looked forwards to. But to have gone through all of the trauma of the past week and to still die before she was even technically Guy's wife was more disappointing than she would ever have expected.

"Here," Robin arrived back and handed the two tiny, but unbelievably precious, clay bottles to Djaq, "Carter's been hurt - knife wound to the belly - he may not survive."

"I will attend to him as soon as I can," Djaq responded, unscrewing one of the bottles and smelling it to ensure that it was what she wanted, "Marian; we don't have much time. You must swallow this now."

"Kiss me," Marian whispered, looking up at Guy, "Kiss me goodbye, just in case."

Ignoring the looks from the others, Guy leaned over and pressed his lips gently to hers. "Goodbye, Marian," he said softly, "I will be here when you wake up."

"Here," Djaq held the tiny bottle to Marian's lips and raised her head with her other hand, "You have to drink this now; every second counts."

Marian obligingly swallowed the liquid that Djaq dropped into her mouth and then closed her eyes with a sigh. A moment later her breathing slowed to nothing and her lips took on the same white tinge of her face.

"This had better work!" Guy growled, still gripping Marian's hands tightly.

"She has a better chance with this than anything else," Djaq informed him curtly before turning to Robin, "Where is Carter? we will do the same thing to him."

"What about Marian?" Guy demanded, looking up and meeting Djaq's eyes for the first time.

The raw fear that poured out of his face made Djaq hurry to reassure him, "We must wait for a little longer. I cannot operate here; I must have clean instruments and the right ones. Now we have time to take her and the others to Bassam's house where I have a real chance to make them well."

. . .

When they finally reached Bassam's house with Marian, Carter, and the king in tow, Djaq quickly set up a room with three cots and proceeded to treat them. The king first, then Carter - to Guy's great displeasure, but Djaq informed him that Carter had a much less chance of survival than Marian and therefore must be treated first - and then it was Marian's turn.

"Much; go dip these in boiling water and bring them back as quickly as you can," Djaq ordered, thrusting the bloodied knives, needles, and other things into his hands, "Robin; give Carter the opposite mixture. He must wake so that his body can begin healing. Then you will all have to leave."

"Why?" Guy asked, feeling the old glowering look coming over his face.

"Because if Marian survives she will want her dignity and privacy intact," Djaq answered, raising an eyebrow, "And that will not happen if all of you men are in the room."

"Then send Carter and Richard out too!"

"They are sick!" the woman exclaimed, clearly frustrated with him, "If you care so much, you can go try to find a different place for Marian with enough light and space for me to see and work. I don't have time."

"We can at least hang a sheet," Robin offered quietly, "I know where they are kept."

"Very well," Djaq nodded, "But do it quickly; when Much returns, I begin."

"I am staying," Guy informed her, "I am her husband, and I told her that I would be here when she woke up."

"And I will call you before I wake her up," Djaq said, "But you cannot stay; I must have quiet and no interference. Her life depends upon me being able to concentrate. This is not an easy thing to do."

"I give you my word," Guy looked up at her from where he knelt next to Marian with an unusually humble, pleading look on his face, "I will not speak or interfere. But please; let me stay."

Djaq hesitated and glanced over at Robin who was tying the sheet across the room. "Very well," she agreed quietly, making up her mind, "But if I tell you to leave at any time, you must do it and do it quickly and quietly."

"I will."

"Here are the instruments," Much rushed in with a clean cloth wrapped around the instruments in his hands, "And more thread."

"Good," Djaq nodded before motioning to the group, "Now, I need one person to stay on the other side of the curtain and watch the king and Carter. Call me if anything at all changes. The rest of you; out you go."

"I'll do it." Will and Robin spoke simultaneously.

"Will, go ahead," she handed him a flask of water for the two wounded men, "Robin, you are too distracted. Go wait in the hall. This should not take long."

. . .

Guy hated the way he involuntarily winced as Djaq withdrew the knife from Marian's body, the dark maroon hole glaringly dark against her white skin. Setting his jaw he obligingly handed her the instruments she asked for, applied pressure where she asked, and later held the edges of the wound together while she sewed.

"There," Djaq drew her sleeve across her forehead and drew in a deep breath, "Would you like to give her the antidote? If she wakes up, we will have succeeded."

"You do it," Guy shook his head, "I don't know how much to give her."

"Very well," she poured the liquid between Marian's unresponsive lips, "I will wait to call in the others until we know if it worked."

. . .

Marian groaned softly as her returning consciousness drew her attention to the burning pain below her left shoulder. She blinked and Guy's face came into focus above her.

"Marian?" Djaq's voice asked, "How do you feel? Can you speak?"

"Yes," Marian blinked again and smiled slightly at Guy's worried look, "My shoulder hurts, but I feel fine."

"Lay still," the other woman ordered, getting to her feet, "I'm going to go wash my hands. When I come back I'm going to bring the others with me."

"You're alright?" Guy asked tenderly, cradling her face in his hands.

"I'm quite well," she told him, "I assume that Djaq's work on me was a success?"

"You're awake," he answered, smiling, "That says something."

"And you're here, just as you promised."

"I would never leave you in trouble," he stroked her hair gently, "Later I'm going to have some questions about how you showed up in Acre, but they'll wait until you're stronger."

Djaq's returning footsteps were heard outside the door, and Guy drew a sheet up to Marian's neck - careful to avoid the repaired wound as he did so - before the others entered.

"Marian!" Much burst into the room, "You're alive!"

"Don't excite her," Djaq admonished as the others filed in, "She needs at least three days of quite rest. After that you can tell her how glad you are. Will? How are the king and Carter?"

"Just fine," Will poked his head around the sheet, "Glad you're alright, Marian. Well done, my love."

"Thank you." Djaq's face took on a cute smile as she looked at him before turning around, "Well, now you have seen her, let her rest. Out!"

. . . .

Horray! Marian LIVES! :-D


	26. Chapter 26

Well, this is ALMOST the last chapter! I hope that you have enjoyed it so far!

. . . .

Over the next couple of days, Marian recovered quickly - though Djaq insisted that she stay in bed until there was no longer an immediate danger of her pulling the stitches that held the edges of her wound together.. Guy spent almost all of his time next to her bed, and - out of boredom - got to know the king and Carter, who were both recovering quickly and as a result were feeling stir crazy also, rather well during that time. By the third day he was feeling more relaxed than he had since he could remember. The inexpressible feeling of being among friends was foreign, but very pleasant, to him.

Soon, Djaq informed Marian that she could now get up and walk around as long as she kept her left arm in a sling. The night that all of the invalids were able to go down to supper - Carter a little more slowly than the others - was a relief to everyone.

"Well," Much said, smiling around the table at all of them, "Perhaps now Djaq will allow me to tell you each how glad I am that you are recovering! And I am glad, very glad, that all three of you are doing well!"

"As am I." Bassam smiled at them.

"And I," Marian laughed, "As much as I have enjoyed your hospitality, I cannot wait to go home."

. . .

"Your Majesty!" a man, who was obviously part of the king's private guard, exclaimed in joyful astonishment, "We did not know where to begin looking; there was a rumor that the black knights had killed you!"

"No, I am quite well, thanks to Robin of Locksley and his companions. We were deceived about them," Richard replied, making his way to his tent, "How did things go during my absence, Roger?"

"Very well, Sire," the other man answered, stepping quickly to keep up, "Except that a man with no teeth arrived claiming to be the messenger of Prince Sala-Hadin. You had already received the real messenger, so we put the man into the detention tent until you arrived."

"Bring him to me immediately," the king ordered, "I will speak with him."

. . .

Marian brushed a piece of imaginary dust off of Guy's shoulder and smiled up at him. "There," she said with a smile, "Perfect."

"Perfect?" he exclaimed, a hint of laughter in his voice, "Hardly."

"Oh I don't know," she looked at him with a little more solemnity, "I think you're perfect for me. You're a good man, Guy."

"No," he bent down and whispered huskily into her ear, "I have plenty of wickedness in me."

"Keep your distance," she couldn't help a giggle when his breath ticked her ear, but ducked backwards and reached the door of their room in an instant, "We are _not_ going to keep the king waiting."

"Very wise," he admitted, smirking for a moment but suddenly becoming serious, "Marian, you do know that he will most likely strip me of my lands - not to mention my title - and give them back to Hood. You would no longer be a Lady."

"Guy," she exclaimed, "That makes no difference. Now let's go."

"Are you sure?" a lingering insecurity that she had not seen since the Sheriff's death peeped out of his eyes, "You would not resent me for the consequences of my choices?"

"Stop," looking into his eyes she spoke seriously, "Please believe me; I would go with you anywhere. Even into the forest."

"That is not amusing," he said sourly, "You hated it there. I would never live in the forest."

"Ah, but you weren't there!" she exclaimed, a smile breaking through, "If you were there it would be a different story. But that is not going to happen. The king will pardon you and I am sure he will not leave you destitute afterwards. Now come on; in an hour you will know for certain."

. . .

The outlaws, along with Guy and Marian, stood in a semi-circle in front of the king, stepping forwards one at a time as he called their names; pardoning each of them and making each of them - except for Djaq of course, who would be sharing with Will - the owner of a small piece of land in England as a reward for their service to him.

"Much," Richard spoke firmly as he finished with the other except for Robin and Guy, "For your part in saving my life, you are hereby pardoned and I make you the Earl of BonChurch."

"Bon... Bon..." Much gulped in disbelief and then blinked a few times before exclaiming joyously, "Thank you, your majesty! Thank you! Thank you! Earl of... Thank you!"

A tiny crinkle at the corner of his eyes was the only sign of amusement as Richard watched the man who was clearly beside himself. "Robin," he ordered as Much stepped back into line, still unable to believe his ears, "I hereby pardon you and return you to your rightful title as the Lord of Locksley along with the lands that were taken from you by Vaisey during my absense."

There was a barely audible sigh from Guy as the words were spoken, but he stood proudly as the king turned to him.

"Sir Guy of Gisborne," Richard said, none of the familiarity that had grown over the past week evident in his voice, "From the evidence of the pact of the Black Knights that Robin of Locksley has presented, you are hereby convicted and sentenced to death."

"No!" Marian exclaimed, but Guy's quick hand motion stopped her from saying anything else, his face wearing it's old expression of proud defiance.

"However, because of your decision to spare my life and based on what I came to know about you during the time of recovery, you are now pardoned and no mention of your misdeeds will be made. Also, I now separate the Gisborne lands from the lands of the Locksley estate and restore you to your rightful place as the Lord of Gisborne, adding to those lands also half of the lands of Vaisey, the former Sheriff of Nottingham, which are between the Locksley and Gisborne estates. The other half is hereby granted to Robin, Lord of Locksley."

A visible change came over Guy's posture and his expression quite literally melted into shock at the king's words.

"And, now that the business is done," the king stood up from his chair and walked over to the group with a smile, "Robin, a choice is before you."

"What kind of a choice, Sire?" Robin asked curiously.

"When I return to England, will you go as part of my private guard and serve me at the castle," the king's eyes twinkled, "Or will you serve the people of Nottingham as their new sheriff?"

"With all due respect, your majesty," Robin hesitated, "I believe I would rather serve the people of Nottingham, but perhaps not with the title of sheriff?"

"Quite," Richard frowned in thought, "I will make you the Steward of Nottingham, and you will take care of Nottinghamshire for me."

"Thank you, your majesty." Robin nodded, a smile coming over his face, "That is most kind of you."

"You speak as if you were going to be returning soon?" Djaq asked questioningly, forgetting the formalities that belonged to the man that she had nursed back to health.

"Indeed," a smile lit his entire face, "I have spoken to the messenger of Sala-Hadin - the real messenger - and I have met with the Prince himself; there is peace!"

As a joyful shout erupted throughout the camp, Marian laughed delightedly as Guy turned to face her. She had never seen such wholehearted happiness on his face as he pulled her into a tight hug, knowing that his dream of a real home - complete with the Gisborne name and her - was finally coming true.

. . . .

And now for the hopelessly cheesy/romantic/very happy epilogue. If you hate ridiculously happy endings where everyone lives happily ever after, just stop reading now! ;-)


	27. Chapter 27

And now for the ridiculously happy ending... though I guess it's ending the way I want it to, so it may not be ridiculously happy for you... ;-) Oh well, enjoy it anyways!

. . . .

Of course, after their return to England, it took a while to get everything back to the way it should be. The former outlaws assisted King Richard in taking back his castle and bringing Prince John and the Black Knights to justice. With the return of the kindly and just ruler, who really did love the people in his country, it was only a matter of time before things began to improve for the peasants of the land.

There was a day of rejoicing when Robin of Locksley was established as the Steward of Nottingham, though some complained that he was too lenient with the thieves that still existed in Notthingham - never hanging them and usually simply making them work to replace anything that they had stolen.  
Though he and Guy never became especially good friends, they established a civil, respectful interaction with each other and later worked together to destroy the last of the Black Knights. In time, Robin met Guy's widowed sister and - less than a year later - they were wed amidst the joyful cheers of the people of Nottingham and went on to have five sons and a daughter together.

Will and Djaq considered staying the Holy Land, but - with all of Djaq's relatives dead - decided to settle near the ones they had come to think of as their adopted family in England on the land that the king had given them. Their children, two sets of energetic twin girls, were the delight of their father and the - very much enjoyed - exasperation of their mother.

Allan eventually met and married a village girl named Kate - someone that Marian found difficult to tolerate at times, but who simply adored her new husband - and they lived in relative harmony and happiness with each other and, several years later, had one son who from a very early age showed a talent for slight of hand.

Alice and his son returned after hearing that John had been pardoned, and they built a larger house together, eventually having a little daughter to cement their renewed love.

Much searched high and low for Eve on his return to BonChurch and finally found her at, and rescued her from, a nobleman's castle far away from Nottingham in the position of a scullery maid. They were married within a week and had a large family of seven girls and five boys. Much and Eve were wonderful parents, but tended to embarrass their children by their obvious admiration of each other and their propensity to hold hands and kiss at inopportune moments.

Guy and Marian continued to grow more in love with each other as time went by; always saying that it was important to take advantage of the time that they had together because one never knew how long it would last. Thankfully, it lasted for many, many long years, during which time they had three daughters and four sons who, to the consternation of their father and the amusement of their mother, idolized Robin Hood and spent many long hours playing outlaws in Sherwood Forest.

. . .

"Marian," Guy said quietly one night, turning over to look at her in the light of the moon that shone through the window, "Did you ever think, ten years ago, that you would be here today?"

"Sharing a bed with you?" she grinned, opening one eye teasingly, "Not really. I may have thought about it once or twice, but I never really believed it."

"No... yes..." he chuckled, "I mean, married to me with our children sleeping down the hall, and King Richard on the throne again in a land of peace."

"I have to admit, my faith in our ability to make a difference in the way things turned out was never very strong, and I never would have predicted that I would be married to you," Marian said, opening both of her eyes and looking at him, "But I wouldn't change a thing. I love you, Sir Guy of Gisborne, and I am so thankful that things did not turn out the way I thought they would."

"I love you, Marian," Guy responded, drawing her close and savoring the feeling of her eyelashes tickling his throat and her breath warm on his chest, "Sometimes I dream that I am back at the castle with the Sheriff and you hating me... the moment that I wake up and realize that I am truly living this life - with you, me, and the children on the Gisborne estate - is like coming home."

. . .

*Happy sigh* Now THAT is now it should have ended! ;-) There is always something bittersweet about finishing a story... I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. Don't forget to review! :-)


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